


The Pyres of Arcadia

by the_madame21



Series: Shattered Glass [2]
Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Abuse, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Pining, sequel to Masks of Glass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 04:05:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 64,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11028282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_madame21/pseuds/the_madame21
Summary: "Shattered glass? It's got a certain ring to it, don't you think?" "Like what?" She asked. He smirked, not looking at her, but out into the garden instead. "Like revolution." Sequel to "Masks of Glass"





	1. Chapter 1

Reiji set the tea down before his very pregnant wife, sitting across his brother and sister-in-law.

"There were four, you said? This is only three."

"Well that's just it," Yui said softly, but Shu put his hand over his wife's shoulder, silencing her. "I'm sure you remember," he said, speaking directly to Reina, handing her a picture, "His face is almost just the same."

Reina looked from the vampire king, to the photo held in front of her, showcasing the last man Karlheinz had chosen for his Adam experiment. She paled.

"But this is…"

"That's impossible," Reiji said sharply, "He died that day."

"Then explain why he's in this photo." Shu snapped just as harshly, glaring at his brother. Reina picked up the photo, looking at the familiar, and yet hopelessly unfamiliar face. "All these years…" she looked up at icy blue eyes, "What will you do?"

"I've asked him to stay with us. He has no memory—"

"Again you will take him in as a pet," Reiji sneered, voice full of contempt.

There was a creak of a door, and the small murmurs of a child.

"Mommy?"

The adults all hushed, turning to see little Edgar under the doorframe, rubbing his eyes. Yui stood up immediately, ushering her son out of the room with soft coos and gentle touches. Shu watched her with tired eyes, not speaking until the heavy door shut behind her.

"I owe him," Shu began, "At the very least, some stability. Of the other three, one is an aristocrat, and another an idol. The third has an astounding knowledge of medicine. Yuma is the only one with no place to go."

Reina perked up. "Yuma?"

Shu sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's what he goes by now."

Reina placed her hand over her bulging stomach, looking at her husband. Reiji sighed, taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses with the cloth of his shirt. "What did he do before now? Does he remember that much at least?"

Shu hesitated, long hair falling over his shoulders. "He was a soldier."

Reina inhaled, swallowing thickly as she looked at the King. "On which side?"

When Shu didn't respond right away, Reiji went in for the kill, eyes sharp and unforgiving. "You're bringing a former _communist_ into the castle? At at time like this?"

"Socialist morals are in the right place. They mean well—"

"Those standards are based on a fairytale. On the blind belief that they'll acheive—what is it?" Reiji chuckled, "A _utopia—"_

"Reiji—" Reina began, but he did not look at her, continuing to challenge the Vampire Lord. "You'll raise your child among such a person?"

Shu held his ground, his tone unwavering. "Believe it or not, _brother,_ I know what I'm doing. You're under no obligation to agree."

"He will become a weakness, just as he was back then—"

"It's different now—"

"Quite right," Reiji smirked, "You're a King now. The consequences will be far more severe."

"There will not _be_ any consequences." Shu bit back.

Reiji slammed his fists against the dining table, "Don't be blind! We're in enough jeopardy as is with the—"

"Do _not_ speak of it here. Yui—"

"She'll need to know eventually." Reina said calmly, "This involves her. It's simply the nature of her blood—"

"She will know when I decide. As for Yuma, he will take his place in this castle. I was simply doing the courtesy of informing you, _not_ asking for your permission."

Reiji straightened, standing up and putting his glasses back on his face. "I've declared my disapproval," he said, "That is all I can do. Take care to not show this weakness to others, _My Lord._ Or it could be the end of your reign."

Reina watched her husband leave the room, closing the door behind him with all the quiet in the world. She swallowed, palming her stomach nervously. "Shu," she said, "Could it really be him?"

"He has burns across his shoulder and back. His scent is also basely the same, despite having been turned."

"But a half-vampire…in the castle, no less—"

"I did not take you for a bigot, Reina."

She blushed, her eyes widening, "We were all raised just the same, My Lord. You know just as well as I how difficult adjusting can be. And half-vampire or not, _Edgar_ or not, that man is still a stranger. If you choose to put your family in danger then so be it. But you affect mine as well." Her tone was unwavering, her hand held firm on her stomach, the ring on her finger catching the light in a way that made Shu glance at it for perhaps a second too long.

"He'll be of no harm. The familiars will watch him closely."

Reina chewed the inside of her cheeks, inhaling deeply and finally taking a sip of the tea her husband had brought her. "And what of his…brothers."

"What about them?"

"Won't they object?" Reina asked, surprise shaping her brow.

"It was his decision to accept my offer. Should he choose to leave, I won't deny him."

Reina stood up, the pity heavy in her eyes as she reached out to the Vampire Lord, cupping his cheek in her palm.

"I hope you know what you're doing." She whispered, before kissing the cold pale cheeks, and taking her own leave of the room.

The wind tugged at her hair when she stepped outside, Reiji greeting her with a scowl when she entered the car. He said nothing, but signaled for the familiar to begin driving.

"It seems two hours is my limit."

She smiled, placing her hand over his knee. "I know, darling."

Reiji sighed, exhausted, putting his hand over hers, and then bringing his other over to her stomach.

"He continues to think only of himself. We—"

"Will be just fine, Reiji-san. One half-blood—"

"His blood isn't the issue. Ideas are dangerous things, Reina."

She scoffed at that, "Are you so conservative?"

"If he poses a threat," Reiji's gaze sharpened, cold and unforgiving, "I'll kill him again."

She squeezed his hand, turning her head to look out the window. "Oh Reiji," she sighed, "I don't think he'll be the worst of our problems."

Reiji said nothing, but held her hand to his knee, looking out the opposite window. "It will be troublesome, at best. What with everything—"

"But I still don't understand," she said, "Endzeit—"

"Advances have been made. Just as they always will."

"Even so," Reina said quietly, "Recovery is impossible without—"

"It will be another few decades or so," Reiji said confidently, "Their resources have been limited, and without the blood of that woman there's very little to be accomplished."

"Their gripe is not with us. It was all your father's doing." Reina said strictly, squeezing his hand.

Reiji bent down, pressing his lips to her cold cheeks, not quite a kiss but just as intimate.

"With or against, that sort of thing," he began pensively, "I don't think it will matter."

"Reiji?"

He kissed her cheek again, this time will full intent to silence her. "We should sleep, when we arrive at the mansion."

Reina turned her head, looking out the window once more. "Yes," she said, appeasing her husband, "That would indeed be best."

_7 Years Later..._

"Are you ready, darling?" Reina asked, having finished braiding her daughter's long black hair.

"Yes, Mommy!"

"Mother." Reiji corrected flatly, adjusting his glasses. The little girl nodded, fixing her answer. "Yes, Mother."

Reina laughed, waving her hand at both husband and child. "Such formalities among family seems a bit silly, doesn't it?"

The little girl smiled shyly, nodding her head once more to agree with her mother.

"It is necessary when engaging in social atmospheres," he explained, "Do you understand, Kiara?"

She beamed up at her father, her brown eyes shining brightly, "Yes Pap–Father!"

The edge's of Reiji's lips tugged upward, patting the child on the head. "Good girl."

"Kiara darling," Reina began, "Where is your hat?"

She hung her head, rolling on her heels nervously, "Forgive me Mother…I…lost it…"

Reina raised her brow in doubt, but was interrupted by Reiji's amused chuckle. She turned to face her husband, who had sat down on his arm chair and was motioning their daughter onto his lap. In her mind she begged him to not be too harsh.

"Are you so irresponsible as to lose your belongings?"

Kiara lowered her head, saying nothing.

With surprising tenderness, Reiji lifted the child's head by her chin. "A young lady does not hang her head so shamefully."

She gave a firm nod, "Yes, Father."

"Now," he said, "Do you find your parents so foolish as to believe their daughter would be so careless?"

Kiara chewed her bottom lip, trying to look her father in the eye, the way she had always been told to. But her father could be rather frightening, at times like these. She thought that maybe, if she had said she lost her hat, then she wouldn't have to wear it.

"There will not come a day when you can successfully deceive me. Is that understood?"

The girl inhaled sharply, her response tumbling out quickly, red filling her small cheeks. "Yes, Father."

"Kiara," Reina encouraged softly, "Perhaps you should go find it."

Kiara gracefully slid off her father's lap, making her way as quickly as possible up the stairs and towards her room.

Reiji exhaled, "A lady does not run."

Reina laughed, taking her seat gracefully on the arm of the chair. "She's not a lady, Reiji. She's a child."

He ignored her, rubbing his temple. "I do not understand her hostility towards it. A hat is a suitable and elegant garment for a girl her age. If she did not insist on being outside for so long then there would be no need–"

Reina leaned over, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "Let her be, Reiji."

He sighed. "I will not spoil her as you do."

Reina smiled, "So says the man who indulged her in…a new set of heels this time, was it not?"

"Proper footwear is required when attending afternoon tea. I will not have my daughter dressed in shambles."

" _Our_ daughter, Reiji." Reina sighed, "Furthermore, declaring that she will never be able to deceive you…I fear for our futures."

"What do you mean?"

Reina smirked, a trait she'd picked up from her husband, no doubt. "She is your daughter is she not? Don't you think she will take it as a challenge one day?"

Reiji gave a sly grin. "If she is any bit _your_ daughter then indeed she will."

The _click-clacks_ of Kiara's small heeled shoes echoed through the halls, until she came into view, her red hat placed neatly on her head, the white ribbon falling elegantly over her shoulders.

Reina smiled.

"Bien. Vous avez tout?" Reiji inquired, affirming she was ready.

"Presque."

He raised an eyebrow, "Presque?"

Kiara _click-clacked_ closer, standing on her tiptoes next to Reina. Her mother lowered her face to meet her.

"Un bisou pour Maman," she said, kissing her mother's cheek, "Et un pour Papa!" She scooched over, stood on her tiptoes once more, and leaned over the armrest to kiss her father's cheek.

"Very well then," Reiji said, standing up and collecting his jacket, "Any more of this and we will be late. Kiara," he began forcefully, and the little girl reached up to take her father's hand. "Beginning tomorrow we will cultivate your German."

She puffed her cheeks in a very child-like way. "Papa, I much prefer French."

_"N'importe quoi."_

Reina bit back her smile at that, taking hold of her daughter's other hand, reminding her that knowing multiple languages is indeed a strong asset. "Cousin Edgar is learning German as well," she reminded, "You two can practice together."

Kiara pressed her lips together, but nodded in agreement anyway. "Momm–Mother, when we are finished with tea, may I go play with cousin Edgar?"

Reina smiled at her daughter, before looking at her husband. "Ask your father, darling."

The girl looked up, squeezing her father's hand. "Oh, can I Papa?"

"The correct phrasing would be 'May I, Father?'" He explained, failing to look down at her.

But Kiara smiled, because though he was much taller than she, the hint of a smile that lined his face was something that was very much obvious to her.

"May I, Father?" She repeated obediently.

He granted her a single nod. "As you wish."

She bit the inside of her cheeks, trying to contain herself from squealing, because Papa didn't like unnecessary noises like those.

Holding on tightly to her parent's hands, she was led out of the house, and into the limousine. Sundays were truly her most favorite day. Papa was home, Mommy would do her hair, and most importantly…

She got to see Edgar.

But today would be different. Because today she'd finally get to meet little Eloise.

Kiara had never seen a baby before. They sure were tiny. She wasn't sure if Eloise was especially small, or if all babies were like that. And boy did she look like Edgar. They were both blonde, Kiara could tell, even though Eloise barely had any hair on her. Because babies were mostly bald apparently. But Eloise's hair seemed lighter than Edgars, closer to auntie Yui's. Kiara barely got a good look, since the little thing was sleeping most of the time, but Eloise's eyes were bright blue, just like King Shu's.

Mommy said that most babies had blue eyes though, and that they changed colors later. But either way, Kiara already liked Eloise.

She was very pretty.

But, Eloise had very pretty parents, and a pretty brother, so it made sense. All in all, a very pretty family.

At least, that's what Kiara's mother always said. But Kiara thought her mom was rather pretty as well. In a different way from Auntie Yui. There was just a certain something. Kiara didn't have a name for it. But she knew Papa could see it. Uncle Shu, too. Because sometimes they both looked at Mommy in a way that made Kiara feel like she was interrupting something important.

But that only happened sometimes.

One thing was for certain, though, Kiara thought. Auntie Yui certainly looked much better holding a baby. It just seemed like something that was meant for her, having lots of babies around. When Kiara's mom took a hold of Eloise it looked different, somehow. Which maybe it shouldn't have, but it did.

Maybe because Eloise was so blonde and pale, it just didn't match Mommy's burgundy scarf.

But all of that got boring enough rather quickly, the adults chatting away about things Kiara had no interest in, and she couldn't even play with Edgar because he'd fallen asleep on the couch by his mom and new sister. He said he'd been up all night because Eloise cries like a banshee. Kiara found that hard to believe. The baby was perfectly quiet now.

But it was boring, and Kiara hated being bored, so she slipped out, completely unnoticed, skipping down the endless halls until she made it out into the garden.

For as long as Kiara could remember, she loved visiting cousin Edgar. Because Uncle Shu and Auntie Yui had really nice servants. Kiara had servants too, of course, but none that were like what the King and Queen had.

Especially their gardener. Because their gardener was a really nice man.

"Hello, Kuma-san."

" _Yuma."_ He corrected.

She giggled, no longer afraid of his bear-like size. There had been a time where he struck fear to her very core, could hardly talk to him, even. But that felt like a long time ago.

"The adults kick you out?"

She shook her head. "It got boring. And Edgar is asleep. The baby too."

"Babies need to, you know."

She thought about that, biting her lip. "She's awfully small, Princess Eloise."

"Babies are small." Yuma said.

"But it makes me worried about her."

"It's not yer job to worry about things like that.

Kiara puffed her cheeks, "Kuma-san—"

 _"Yuma,"_ he corrected again.

She giggled at that, bringing a girlish hand to cover her mouth. "Don't you have any _sucre_ today?"

"And just what the fuck does _sucre_ mean?"

"Sugar!" She said happily, "It's French, you see. Papa says I should practice my languages whenever I can."

"That's pretty fucking pompous. You know what _pompous_ means?"

Kiara puffed her cheeks again. "I'm not vain."

Yuma's eyes widened, but only slightly, before he gave a scoff and reached into his pocket. Of course she'd know what it meant. "Well, figures. You are _that guy's_ daughter after all."

Little Kiara cocked her head, "Papa, you mean?"

Yuma distracted the child with the sugar cube, avoiding her question altogether. She took it into her small hands, popping the sweet into her mouth with a large smile. "Kuma-san," she said happily—

"It's _YUMA_ , dammit—"

She giggled, "Kuma-san, what does _fucking_ mean?"

The gardner paled, before his face grew stern. "Don't say that word, you hear me? Especially in front of yer parents."

"But what does it—"

"It doesn't matter, got it? Ya curious little piglet."

Kiara pouted. "I'm not a piglet," she declared boldly, "I'm a princess."

Yuma chuckled at that, gathering a few of his tools. "All right then," he said, with a lazy bow, "Forgive me, Princess."

She giggled, squealing happily and patting the large man on his head, "You're forgiven!"

…

It was a long day. But no matter what, every day always ended he same. With Mommy reading her a story, and Papa coming in just in time for the last few pages, sleeves rolled up from working in his lab.

"Skin white as snow, lips red as blood and hair dark as night. Such was the tale of the Queen Snow White."

Reina smiled as she shut the book, setting it on her daughter's nightstand.

"You're filling her head with foolish nonsense." Reiji reprimanded.

"She'll be fine," Reina said, still smiling, brushing her daughter's hair back.

"Will I meet my prince one day too, Mommy?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Reina said lovingly.

"Do not set your sights on such frivolous things, Kiara."

The small girl hid behind her covers, nodding to her father, before wishing her parents goodnight. Her mother kissed her forehead, bidding her good night, and then blew out the candle.

Kiara waited until she heard the door close, before turning the light back on and reaching for the book again. She could read well enough on her own, but her mother insisted regardless.

Snow White and Prince Charming. Kiara always wondered why the princes never had any names. Probably because they never did very much. But she liked the stories nonetheless. Edgar did too.

One day she'd find her prince, and Edgar his princess. And now little Eloise would have her prince someday too.

But Kiara didn't want the nameless prince charming. Her prince would definitely need a name. Because a guy who didn't do much wouldn't be very fun to marry. She wanted someone she could go explore the world with. Climb mountains and go flying, up and up until they could touch the moon.

One day. Maybe when she was older. For now, daydreaming suited her just fine. She was only seven after all. Thinking about that sort of thing now was positively illogical.

That's what Papa said, anyway.

She smiled to herself, shutting her book, and snuggling back into bed. One day, she'd find someone who loved her the way Papa loved Mommy.

…

Reiji couldn't tear his gaze away from the curve of his wife's neck, while she sat at the edge of their bed, rubbing lotion into her fair skin.

He crawled closer, inhaling the scent of her hair and then pressing his lips against her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she said timidly, rolling her hands slowly over each other.

Reiji wrapped his arm around her waist, nibbling at her neck. "Woman…"

"Yui looked terribly happy, didn't she?"

Reiji stopped, stiffening slightly as Reina turned to look at him. "Reiji, do you think—"

He smirked, "It was you, who did not want any more children, was it not?"

She chewed the inside of her cheeks, "But a woman…" she was lost in thought now, still rubbing her hands though the lotion had dried, "A woman should have children…" Her voice was like an echo of a time long past.

He kissed her, resting his hand on her exposed thigh, "You've already given me more than enough."

"Reiji…"

He chuckled, low and deep, leaning into her more, "Or could it be," he breathed, his hand brushing beneath her gown, "You'd use a child as an excuse…"

His voice was drowned in a kiss, the couple falling onto the bed, Reiji hovering over his laughing wife.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "But," Reina ran her fingers through her husband's bangs, "Perhaps you're right. Kiara is already blessing enough."

Reiji took his wife's hand, nibbling at her fingers. "Indeed," he murmured, "But the child…is asleep…"

Reina laughed again, her brown eyes catching the sunlight.

How he loved those eyes. Perhaps it was only because they belonged to her. But whatever the reason, the simple fact was that he could never look away. Especially when she was laughing. When she was smiling at him. For him. Because not once did he ever think he'd call this woman his wife. This woman who had borne him a child. Who had allowed him happiness that he was still all too fearful of.

But she was here now, in his arms, looking up at him with large eyes.

And she was beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

Uncle Ayato was essential when Kiara needed information. Because although he _did_ talk to her like she was a child, he didn't exactly hold back either. It was different from Mommy and Papa. They spoke to her as though she were much older than she was, but she could tell they often withheld certain information. Which she understood, but also slightly resented.

"Ayato,"

"Ayato-sama, _sama,_ haven't I told you already?"

She bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile. "Ayato, what does _fucking_ mean?"

Her uncle paled, before hitting her flat on the head. "The hell—heck did you learn that word from?"

"Aside from _you_ ," she teased, "The gardener said it the other day."

Ayato frowned, "That's a bad word. Don't say it."

She nodded, "Yes, but what does it _mean?_ "

"It doesn't matter what it means! Jeez how noisy are you? Didn't I already tell ya? Don't disrespect Ore-sama in such a way!"

She huffed, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance. "Ayato…"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's like…for emphasis. Like if you're really fucking angry. Or if your niece is really _fucking_ annoying. Like that."

She rubbed her chin, nodding softly and thinking, "I see…an expression, then?"

"Yeah, kinda."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't go telling your mom about this!" He warned her, "You hear me?"

She nodded, assuring him she wouldn't.

"And tell that gardener to take some goddamn responsibility."

Kiara cocked her head. "But shouldn't he be allowed to express himself freely?"

"Not in front of a kid, you idiot! Go play with Edgar already I'm busy."

"But Edgar is boring lately." She whined.

Ayato banged her on the head again, and she rubbed it in protest. "Don't talk that way about your cousin! You're too little to be this damn sassy."

"Papa says a strong woman should be free to voice her opinions."

"Let's not get started on the shi—stuff your dad says, ok? Now go play with Edgar."

She stomped her foot as she left, her small tantrum voicing her displeasure, as she left the dining room to go find her cousin.

Lately, they were at the castle quite often. Papa says it was to discuss _important business._ That meant Kiara wasn't allowed to ask about it. Not even Uncle Ayato would tell her. He said it was stuff kids shouldn't be bothered with, because their brains were too small. Kiara wasn't so sure about that. If that was true, then Uncle Ayato shouldn't be allowed to know either. But he always went wherever Mommy did. They were very close, Kiara could tell. It made Papa angry sometimes.

Of course, Papa didn't show his emotions very often. Not in any way that was obvious. He never said _I love you_ , the way Mommy and Auntie Yui did. Auntie Yui was always saying those words. Especially to Edgar and Uncle Shu. Kiara wondered if it made a difference whether they were said or not. Papa always tucked her into bed, after all. And before leaving the room, he'd put his arm around Mommy's waist. So maybe that was just how he said it without saying it at all.

Papa said words were hopeless, because they could hold meaning to one person, and be rubbish to others. He proved his point by saying something to Kiara one day in Russian. She was forced to admit with blushing cheeks that she had no idea what he meant.

"Kiki!"

She growled, spinning on her heels, "It's _Kiara,_ Edgar I've _told_ you—"

"But Kiki is cuter for someone like you!"

"I'm not cute," she said, sticking out her tongue, "Where's Koichi-san?"

"He's left already." Edgar said with a wave of his hand, "His training's started, you know."

"Well it's about time. He's a Shiroyama, after all."

Edgar shrugged, kicking the ground. "I guess. Hey! Kiki! Let's go outside!"

Kiara smiled widely, grabbing her cousin by the wrist and dragging him along, "Way ahead of you—"

"Edgar! Kiara darling!"

Auntie Yui always called her _Kiara darling._ She wasn't sure why. Yui smiled brightly at them, and Eloise cooed in the Queen's arms. "Are you two going to play?"

Edgar clasped his hands politely behind his back. "Yes, m'am!"

Auntie Yui giggled at that, "Would you mind if Eloise and I joined you?"

"Oh yes mother, please!"

Kiara smiled politely in response, digging her nails into her arm. It wasn't that she didn't like Auntie Yui, or Eloise for that matter. But the baby was too small, and Auntie Yui was too old, so it was never much fun. Even if they got to go outside, they'd end up doing something dumb like bird watching, or making flower crowns, which Kiara wasn't very fond of. Edgar seemed to love it though. Kiara always found that strange, a boy who likes flowers. But then, she supposed, Uncle Subaru was the same with his roses, even if she didn't get to see him often.

And of course, there was the gardener. He seemed to love anything that had to do with nature. So maybe Edgar was that way too. But, if one were to ask Kiara, she'd have said she much preferred to climb the trees, even if it was unladylike to do.

…

More often than not, Kiara would take her music lessons in the castle, because there was simply more space than at her own mansion. Not to mention, Papa did not like when she played the notes incorrectly. So the castle very quickly became like a second home to her. And on breaks, though often ended up with Edgar and Eloise, sometimes, she slipped into the garden.

"Hello, Princess."

"Kuma!"

The large man smiled, handing the little girl a sugar cube, which she took gratefully.

"Finished with your lessons?"

"Almost!" She said, swallowing the sugar.

"Can ya play the trumpet yet?"

She puffed her cheeks. "Ladies don't play the _trumpet._ I play the piano. And it's _you_ not _ya_."

The gardener chuckled. "As expected from a princess. Though you're a pretty tiny one," he said motioning to her height and pushing her head down, "You supposed to rule a kingdom when you're that small?"

"I'll be big one day!" She affirmed, jumping up, "Even bigger than you, Yuma!"

He grinned at that, "Are _ladies_ supposed to be that big?"

She bit her lip, shifting on her small heels. "Well…" she struggled, "Almost then. You'll see!"

"Alright alright I get it. Pipe down. So fucking noisy."

"Papa says you shouldn't cuss around Edgar or I."

"Yeah, well I've got a few words I'd like to say to your father—"

"Like what?" Bright, innocent eyes looked up at him, and Yuma hesitated, turning away.

"I gotta get back to work. But listen here, Princess. If you wanna play the trumpet you can. _Lady_ or not."

She stuck her tongue out at him, even as he walked away. Because he was the one of the few people she could really do that to, and get away with it. And it was…freeing, almost.

…

When she was nine, she gained the ability to fly. Uncle Ayato had been the one to teach her. In secret, of course. Papa never would have approved of some of his methods. But Kiara didn't mind a single bit. Learning from Uncle Ayato was perhaps the most fun. Momma said it was his quirky charm, to which Ayato would immediately protest. And Kiara would laugh.

In any case, full moons became her favorite sort of night. Because once her parents had left on _official business,_ she was free to fly, and her piano playing was always much better after flying. She'd mentioned this to Uncle Shu once, very briefly, and only because she knew he wouldn't rat her out for flying. But of the whole family, he was the most musical, and thus the most reliable when it came to advice.

He'd given her a strange look, naturally, judging her for learning to fly at such a young age, and in secret no less. But when she mentioned the piano, those cold blue eyes seemed to glimmer softly, and he muttered sleepily something along the lines of 'passion.'

Kiara didn't quite understand. Perhaps Uncle Shu simply meant 'happiness' instead. Yes, that had to be it, she thought. Because no matter what, she was happy when she flew. But to call her passionate…

That was perhaps too strong a word.

…

Edgar was horrible with music. One might say he had no musical talent whatsoever. Which was quite a shame, considering what a prodigy his father was. But no matter how many years, or how many tutors he studied with, the only sound Edgar could pull from a violin was a screeching protest.

Kiara preferred to stay as far away as she could, while he practiced. Which meant she would roam the gardens. But despite the fact that the garden was farthest from the music room, she could still hear the violin's pitiful cries. It made it rather hard to read.

"Those are some big words, Princess." Yuma said, hose in hand.

"It's Shakespeare." She said proudly.

The gardener grimaced, continuing to water the tomatoes. "Whoever _that_ is."

"Kuma! She gasped, practically dropping her book, "Surely you know Shakespeare!"

The gardener looked at her and blinked, before turning back around.

"Romeo and Juliet! Hamlet! The Merchant of Venice—"

"Oh yeah yeah. That boring guy. Should you be reading him? Aren't ya like five—"

"I'm _twelve._ And he's not _boring—"_

"He's pretty boring." He said, turning off the water, and grabbing the hoe to tend to the weeds.

She puffed her cheeks. "Well at least I can _read._ "

He scoffed, swiping at the ground with the hoe, "Gardeners don't need to know how to read."

She closed her book softly, eyes widening. Could it be that he truly didn't know? "Kuma-san?"

"Mm."

"Would you like to learn?"

"I know how to read!" He shouted, and she practically jumped in her seat, before she became cross, sharpening her features, "Well you made it sound like—"

"That's your fault for jumping to conclusions." He pointed a calloused finger at her accusingly, before hesitating. "Isn't your father all pissy about you reading that human shit?"

She bit her lip, scrunching up her features. "Mother doesn't seem to mind. Besides, I find them fascinating."

"Humans?"

"They're all aware that their lives are hopelessly short. And yet they continue to live. Whatever for?"

"Well why not. Got a life, might as well live it."

"But there's only so much one can accomplish in such a short amount of time—"

"Not everyone takes ten years to learn to play the piano, Princess." Yuma smirked.

She nearly threw her book at him, but restrained herself. "Yuma," she asked carefully, "Father said you were human once. Is that true?"

The farmer stopped, looking at her hesitantly. "Yeah…"

Her eyes brightened, "What was it like?"

"I don't remember anything about back then." He said flatly.

"Oh but you must—"

"Twelve year olds shouldn't stick their noses where they don't belong."

She huffed, closing her book. "I'm going to read inside." She stood up, walking away from him.

"By all means." He smirked, knowing she wouldn't last very long, the sound of Edgar's weeping violin plaguing their ears even from here.

But she turned around suddenly, clutching her book to her chest. "Yuma?"

"I got work ya know." He sneered.

She rocked on her heels, blushing softly. "Do you not have any today?"

He flashed her a smile. "It'll ruin your dinner."

"When has it ever spoiled my dinner?"

He chuckled, before reaching into his pocket and then tossing her a sugar cube. She took it happily, before scurrying off into the mansion.

…

"Eloise," she said, "Go ask Auntie Yui for more pastries."

"B-But," the little girl mumbled, looking at her older brother and cousin with fear in her eyes, "We'll get in trouble…"

"No no!" Edgar beamed, "Mommy never says no to you, isn't that right?"

"But—"

Kiara put her hands on the six-year-old's shoulders. "You're a big girl now aren't you? Strong and brave?"

She nodded hesitantly, "I…I guess so…I'm six!"

"Of course you are!" Edgar encouraged, "And just think of all the cookies!"

Little Eloise licked her lips, as though she could taste the treats already. "They'll be yummy, won't they Kiki?"

"The yummiest." She affirmed.

"Ok!" With girlish excitement, Eloise scurried off in to the dining room, practically running into her mother's legs.

"Do you think it'll work?" Kiara whispered from behind the door that was open just a crack.

"It better," Edgar whispered above her, "Your Dad makes the best dessert."

Kiara bit her lip. It was true. And though Papa spoiled her subtly, he'd absolutely forbidden these new sweets.

They watched in anxious silence as Eloise tugged at her mother's skirt.

"Kiki and Nii-san wanted me to ask if we could have cookies!"

Edgar cursed under his breath, and Kiara pushed him to get out of the way, because if they made a run for it now then maybe—

"Edgar! Kiara, darling! Come out from there."

Edgar groaned, but only loud enough for Kiara to hear, and the two emerged from behind the door with innocent smiles.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Hello, Auntie Yui."

Yui whispered something to her daughter, before handing her a cookie and letting her scurry off. Kiara frowned. The youngest always got away with _everything._

Yui sighed, and Kiara already knew what she was going to say.

"I'm so disappointed."

Edgar always got off so easily with his punishments. Auntie Yui spoke very calmly. Very much like a lady. Very much like a kind woman. It was nothing compared to when Papa was scolding them.

"Edgar, honestly. You should act more mature. You're a role model for your younger sister."

"Yes, Mother."

"Your coming of age ceremony is soon." She smiled proudly, "Wouldn't it be a shame if the future King behaved in such a way?"

"Yes Mother."

Yui giggled, "Imagine if you were to meet your wife. Wouldn't you be embarrassed?"

Kiara noticed Edgar stiffen, clearing his throat and nodding his head to agree. Auntie Yui was always so happy to talk about her children's futures. Was constantly fussing over who might be a good wife for Edgar. But Edgar never seemed to give it much thought.

"And you, Kiara darling, I won't tell your father. But you're not such a young girl anymore either."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She bowed humbly, as she'd always been taught to do.

Yui laughed and waved her hand, pulling both children into an embrace. "Go on, now. Don't give me such long faces. I can't bear to see them." And with that, she handed them each a cookie, before shooing them away.

"She's right," Kiara said, scarfing her cookie down in a very unladylike way, "You'll be married soon, and I'll be left alone with baby Eloise and that old fart Yuma."

Edgar laughed, one of his most honest ones, "That doesn't sound so bad. I'd much prefer the latter."

Kiara snatched at his cookie, and he growled, flashing her his fangs before taking it back.

"They're coming in nicely." She said, pulling up his top lip. He smacked her away, and she laughed.

"I guess."

"Fangs worthy of a prince." She said in a mocking tone.

"Please don't—"

"A prince worthy of the fairest princess in all the land—"

"Kiki—"

"Why, my son can even play the violin!"

"Stop!" He laughed and pushed her, as they strolled down the halls. Kiara giggled, punching him playfully in the arm. "It's cute. She's proud of you."

"I wish she wasn't so loud about it," he said shyly, "I much prefer your mom."

Kiara shrugged, "I think my mom wishes I were more like her. Papa too."

Edgar smirked at that. "Well, you have all the grace of a _pig,_ so I suppose—"

"How rude! I'm as graceful as a swan!" She laughed at herself, twirling about in ridiculous fashion.

"Oh please, my eyes!" Edgar shielded himself, running in the opposite direction.

From the room across the hall, Reina shut the door as quietly as she could manage, her daughter's laughter tugging at her chest.

"They're only being children." Shu said seriously.

Reina bit the inside of her cheeks. "Yes," she said, "Yes I know. But won't it be far more cruel, when they're forced to grow up so quickly?"

"Nothing is certain."

"Yes, but Shu—"

"Let them be, Reina."

Her hands balled into small fists. "Shu. They'll have to know eventually. Not just them, but your wife as well. Especially now that Edgar is coming of the proper age—"

"They will know," Shu said calmly, "But not today. And not tomorrow."

"You say that almost every day." Reina said, not bothering to hide her displeasure.

"You sound like your husband."

"Perhaps he's right in this matter." She argued.

Shu put his pen down. "Do you not trust me?"

Reina sighed. "Of course I do—"

"Then let it be."

She swallowed stiffly, her features flattening. "Yes, _My Lord._ "


	3. Chapter 3

"They look like ants," Kiara said, "Scurrying around like that."

Edgar looked down, watching the endless amount of servants weaving and waving between the grand ballroom and the main parlor. "Won't they get mad if they see us?"

"They've never found us up here." Kiara said simply, propping her chin up on her palms, continuing to watch through the crack at the top of the ballroom's ceiling.

"But—"

"Technically, this is part of the attic. No one's ever said we're not allowed." She said smartly, before flipping over on her back, and sighing. "I can't believe how old we are."

"We're really not that old. And you're younger than me."

She made a face. "Only by two years,"

"Three—"

She ignored him. "Then it'll be my ceremony they're preparing for."

"Have you picked anything yet?"

She stayed quiet for a long while, to the point where Edgar thought that maybe she hadn't heard him. But then she spoke up, careful and calculated. "Medicine and drugs and that sort of thing. Papa will be happy."

Edgar scrunched up his features. "Will you be happy?"

She shrugged. "I won't be unhappy."

He looked at her, and stretched out his legs, which he'd had curled up against his chest. He then lay flat on the floor, his head at her feet, letting out a long sigh. "We'll be together though, right? No matter what?"

She smacked his leg, flipping over so that she was also facing the long wooden beams at the roof of the attic. "That sort of thing goes without saying. Besides, that's _my_ line, Mr. King."

It fell quiet again, the silence filled only by the ancient creaks of wood and the distant buzzing downstairs.

"I don't think I'm really fit to be King." Edgar whispered.

Kiara blinked, hands on her stomach, before she sat up. "Why not?"

He had his eyes closed, and he inhaled deeply. "I don't know…someone like Eloise would be better."

Kiara snorted. "The Vibora clan would take her out in two seconds flat."

"I'm serious!" Edgar said, sitting up, fire in those pink eyes.

"So am I!" Kiara protested, "She's so…" she struggled to find the words, "You just can't run a kingdom that way."

Edgar hesitated, "She's a lot like mother…"

"Case in point."

"Well we can't all be like your father, can we?" He sneered.

Kiara shook her head, "I didn't say you did! Besides," She brought her knees up to her chest, "I think Papa would make a horrible king."

Edgar crinkled his features, leaning into her. "What makes you say that?"

Kiara shrugged, "I'm not sure."

Edgar snorted, and then laughed, his blonde hair bouncing around his eyes. Like glittering light in the dark dampness of the attic. "What sort of argument is that?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, and ruffled his hair, scattering the light. "I don't know," she shrugged again, lowering her hand, "He's…how do I say it…weak, in a way? Er not weak, exactly…"

The prince's eyes widened. "Kiara?"

Kiara shook her head, "No, that's not really the right word. I don't know," she pushed him, "I can't think right now." She fell back, splaying her arms out and sighing dramatically. "We'll have to wear _formal attire_." She said almost immediately, and Edgar knew better than to push the subject further.

"Yeah." He murmured.

"I don't want to."

"You never do."

"Well dresses are hard to get into, you know." She said informatively, before a smile curled her lips. They could put off getting dressed for a little while longer. "Wanna find Yuma?"

"It's no longer a matter of finding him," he said smartly, "We already know where he is."

"Then let's go!" She said with a large smile on her face, dragging him down the creaking stairs and sneaking past the familiars which were carrying god-knows-what for the ball.

The gardener was where he always was around this time. Under the big oak, toothpick in mouth, enjoying the breeze and the shade of his hat, the grass soft on his back. Kiara always wondered why he chose to sit there, when there was a gazebo with tables and chairs right beside the tree.

They ran up to him, chatting about nonsense, the children watching the gardener from inside the gazebo.

"Are you excited?" The gardener asked.

Edgar shrugged, "I guess."

"You'll be king soon, ya should be." He said, twisting the toothpick with his tongue.

She wasn't sure why, but that bothered her. Maybe it was the way he said it, or simply the fact that he was sprawled out on the ground like a sun-bathing lizard. "Shouldn't you be working?" Kiara snapped.

"I'm allowed to have breaks." He snapped, closing his eyes.

Edgar rested his chin on his hands, admiring the gardener. "He must be tired."

"You always take his side." Kiara said with a roll of her eyes.

"I-I do not!" Pink eyes went wide.

Kiara snickered. Pushing Edgar's buttons was always too easy. "Well you're always staring at him. Isn't he, Kuma? It's like he wants to be a gardener instead of a prince—"

"Shut _up_ Kiara!" Edgar got up quickly, shaking his head and then _stomping_ away, his hands balled up in fists.

Kiara watched him leave, wondering if maybe she'd pushed him too far. But rather than feel bad for him, it only angered her. He shouldn't be so sensitive. "Jeez, who pissed in his cereal—"

"Oy watch yer damn mouth!" Yuma yelled.

"You're one to talk."

"I'll be the one who gets it if your parents hear you two cursing." Yuma groaned, closing his eyes again.

Kiara chewed the inside of her cheeks, blushing brightly even though she didn't want to. Life as a princess was limited by too many rules, sometimes. Perhaps Edgar _did_ have a right to be angry. A gardener's life was a simple one. It wasn't such a far-fetched fantasy.

"Yuma."

"Oh, what's this? Saying my _actual_ name for once—"

"Do you think things will change, now?"

"Things are always changing. Don't ask stupid questions."

"There's no such thing as a stupid question. Only stupid people."

"Then I guess you're stupid, aren't-cha?"

She frowned. "Kuma—"

"Kiara!" Edgar came rushing back out, excitement in his pale cheeks, "Kiara he's back! A day early!"

She made a face, shouting back, "Who?"

"Koichi!"

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she forgot all about Yuma, the chair scraping behind her as she rushed to Edgar's side.

"He's with father," he explained, "He's—"

"But what of tomorrow?"

"He's being sworn in today! He'll have a title for the ceremony—"

"But that's all out of order—"

"But he's here!"

She hadn't seen the young prince so excited in a long time. And so Kiara smiled. He was still such a kid, his emotions swaying so easily. They rushed towards the ballroom, but they didn't even make it inside, before they were met by her father.

"Kiara. Edgar."

Her head shot up immediately, the tone of her father's voice sharp and strict.

"If you will come with me."

They had to change, if they were to be present for the knighting. The rest of the castle had already taken to formal dress, because even though Edgar's ceremony wasn't until tomorrow, some important people had already begun to arrive. And it was the job of the King and Queen to entertain them. Luckily, Kiara wasn't nearly that important. But it was why she was forced to hurry now.

It all happened rather quickly, in a sort of blur, Kiara rushing to fix her hair and meeting Edgar at the bottom of the stairs, drowned in formal black. Come tomorrow, that suit of his would be pure white.

Papa led them to the throne room. There, Shu rested with his formal robes, the Queen in her finest silks and a sparkling headpiece. By the King's side stood a boy—well, he was more of a man now, wasn't he?— who looked very much like Koichi and yet nothing like him at all. The only thing Kiara could think was that he was much bigger now. Both in height and frame. And even from this distance, those green eyes seemed to pierce her, the snake-like gems that the Shiroyamas were infamous for.

He'd grown rather handsome.

The Vampire Lord beckoned his son closer, and Kiara stayed by her father's side, folding her hands behind her back. The affair was a rather informal one, despite the royalty's superfluous clothing. Koichi was sworn in as sole guardian to the future King, and vowed to protect the Sakamaki family to the end of time.

Kiara shifted. If things had gone differently, it might have been _she_ making that vow. She was, after all, part Sampson.

"Kiara." Her father's voice tore her gaze from the white-haired knight.

"Huh?"

Reiji grimaced, and Kiara cleared her throat, swallowing thickly. "Yes, Father?" She corrected.

"Come tomorrow, Edgar will no longer be a child."

She nodded.

"You will have to take responsibility in preparation for your own adulthood."

"Yes, Father."

"Well? Have you decided then?"

If she had a choice, the way her father was implying, she would have chosen music. But music does not improve a kingdom in any tangible sense. So she provided her father with the answer he wanted most.

"I'd like to study medicine with you, Father."

And it was almost worth it, the way the edges of his lips tugged upwards in a faint and oh-so-rare smile.

Medicine and drugs were fascinating, of course. The effects they had on the body and such. It wasn't that she found it boring, exactly. But she wasn't quite happy with it, the way she was when she was playing the piano. Which was truly a shame. But she could bear with at least this much, until her own ceremony. And after that, no one would pay her any mind, because Edgar would be King.

Edgar had chosen History. Or rather, it'd been chosen for him. Mother said it was essential of the future king, and she'd even given Kiara some lessons as well. But Demon history was eternal, with far too much to know. She understood the value, naturally; _wanted_ to enjoy it, for the sake of her mother, but Kiara found it all positively tedious.

…

Formal balls were horrible things. Mother enjoyed them. Papa did not. Especially since Uncle Shu allowed his servants to participate. Papa said that was an outrage. Kiara wasn't sure about that, but it did seem rather peculiar. Not that Uncle Shu ever let Papa intimidate him. Which truly was a wonder, because Kiara always thought her father could be a particularly intimidating man.

But in any case, dances were no fun without Edgar around. He was busy mingling with the right sort of people, tailed by Shiroyama, who kept a hand on his silver sword at all times. It made shivers run down her spine. It was not often she came in such close proximity to something that could be considered 'deadly.'

Not to her, anyway.

"Kiki," Eloise tugged at Kiara's dark green skirt, "Can we go with Nii-san now?"

Kiara took the child's hand. "Not yet. He's gonna be busy for a while. Do you wanna dance?"

Eloise shook her head shyly.

Kiara sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Kiara darling,"

Her pulse spiked, as she looked upon her savior. She'd never been more happy to see Auntie Yui. "My Lady," she curtsied politely, bowing her head slightly.

"Why don't I take Eloise?" Yui offered, "You go have fun."

Kiara accepted gratefully, with a large smile on her face, not wasting any time in heading straight for the table of food.

There was anything and everything anyone could ever think of. She inhaled, sighing softly to herself, thinking that after she'd had her fill, surely she'd go converse with Koichi. It'd been a rather long time since she'd seen him, after all.

"Looks good, right?"

She looked up, coming face to face with someone she'd never seen before. He looked just about her age, which was rather irritating, because it was easier to separate oneself from an adult than from people like her. But this was a ball, and manners were necessary, so she smiled politely nonetheless. "Most definitely."

"These are the best," he said, picking up one of the mini-quiches, and offering it to her. She reached to grab it, but he pulled away, chuckling softly to himself. "No no. Come on, say 'ahhh.'"

She made a face, crossing her arms. "I'm not a little girl."

"You're cute like one though."

She blushed despite herself, uncrossing her arms and reaching over the table to grab a quiche for herself, which she promptly popped in her mouth to keep from replying. The stranger smiled, taking a bite of the one he'd offered her moments before. "How old are you?" He asked.

"Why should that matter?" She mumbled, reaching for a cookie next.

"I just turned fifteen myself," he said, leaning in closer, flashing her a smile.

A year younger than Edgar then, she thought. But this boy was nothing like Edgar.

"Thirteen." She returned, preparing to leave.

"It's kind of boring, isn't it? The ball, I mean."

And she would have left, but he'd captured her attention with that. Because she felt the exact same way. Her eyes lit up, "Yes! I mean, dancing is amusing, but the adults take up all the room—"

"Wanna get away from here?"

She was too excited to say no.

…

Her first kiss was rough. Very wet. With chills running down her spine from the cold of the garden, the frigid stone of the bench piercing her skin despite the thick fabric of her dress. It was nothing like what she'd thought it was supposed to be. Especially with this boy's thumb digging into her knee, and his fangs clumsily bumping into her lip, tearing at the skin. And when she felt his tongue against her teeth she had to pull away, because more than anything else it just felt _gross._

He looked at her curiously, and she muttered out the word _stop,_ realizing she'd never even learned his name.

"Aw come on," he leaned in again, cupping her face, "I wanna taste your blood…"

His hands were soft. Softer than her own, probably. And for a moment, she thought of Snow White. This nameless Prince Charming who had no talent save for providing kisses.

How boring.

She shook her head, trying to get him off. "I'm going back—"

"Do you mean that?" His grip on her knee tightened, and for the first time in her life she felt true anger, getting ready to just about scratch his eyes out.

"Oy, Kiara! Yer father's looking for you!"

"Kuma!" She stood up quickly, the boy tumbling forward slightly, as Kiara rushed to Yuma's side. He shouted something after her, but she ignored him, Yuma's large steps providing a calming rhythm. She thanked him in a voice barely audible, as they made their way inside.

"It's none of my business," he said flatly, "But you can do better than _that_ slimy bastard."

"I know that." She snapped, though she took in a deep inhale, as though to steady herself.

"Then," He crossed his arms, "Off to your room."

"My _room_?" She chuckled with a snort. He had to be joking. He may have been older, but she was above him in every respect.

"That's right." He said, narrowing his eyes.

She scoffed, "You can't do that. You're not my father."

"Oh? Should we tell your old man then? I'm sure he'd love to hear about—"

"No!" She shook her hands at him, before clearing her throat, and smoothing out her skirt, "No, that's quite alright, Mr. Mukami. Thank you." She nodded to him, before exiting the grand ballroom, nothing but shaky exhales parting her mouth.

Papa could _never_ know about this. She'd never hear the end of it.

She brought calm fingers to her lips. It had been strange. Incredibly strange. But at least now, her curiosity was quenched. She couldn't exactly understand why people enjoyed that sort of thing so much. It wasn't particularly enjoyable. But perhaps it was different once you were familiar with your partner. For now, it'd probably be best to suspend her judgement.

She continued on down the halls, towards the guest room she always inhabited when staying at the castle.

But there were hushed voices along the way.

And it didn't take her very long to realize they belonged to Papa and Uncle Shu.

"…simply saying it is unwise, given her condition—"

"A ball won't—"

"A ball _will._ The vulnerability is there, _brother. E_ ven _you_ must recognize it."

"Eloise will be fine. She is with her mother."

"Her mother will only worsen—"

Kiara kept on walking. She didn't want to deal with the aftermath of what might happen if she was caught behind the door. Besides, it didn't sound particularly important. Eloise didn't exactly seem sick to her, but maybe that was why she didn't want to dance. Besides, Papa and Uncle Shu were always arguing over the most frivolous of things.

She yawned loudly, not bothering to cover up her mouth, stretching her arms up over her head. Even from so far away, she could hear the busy chatter of the party, and the exciting music that accompanied it. She smiled softly, shutting the door to her room and whispering softly to herself.

"Happy Birthday, Lord Edgar."


	4. Chapter 4

"Reina," Reiji sighed, undoing his cufflinks, "At least for tonight, let it be."

His wife flipped the page of the book that lay flat on her vanity, her back turned to him. She murmured something he didn't catch.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It wasn't Karlheinz." She clarified, as though she'd just come to realization herself, turning to face her husband.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, undoing his other wrist.

Reina shook her head, mumbling again, her short navy skirt swaying around her thighs as she turned back around to look at the book.

"Of course, it was all his doing, but it wasn't _his doing…"_

"Reina," Reiji said again, taking her by the wrists, and examining her palms, "You're speaking nonsense. Have you been feeding properly?"

She shook him away, "I'm fine, but Reiji—"

"Reina."

She was forced to look at him, those sharp eyes glaring down at her. She swallowed, realizing she was not speaking clearly. "Forgive me." She whispered.

He cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her chapped lips. "Drink."

She looked up at him with shimmering eyes, before hiding behind her lashes, "You spoil me," she said, taking his hand in hers and puncturing the skin of his thumb with her fangs.

"Can a husband not spoil his wife?"

She ignored him, taking only a few sips, before pulling away, and licking her lips, her cheeks already brightened by new life.

Reiji suckled the bite, licking the excess blood. "Now," he said, "Speak."

She inhaled, folding her hands over each other. "I don't think it was Karlheinz who imprisoned the Tsukinamis."

"He was the only one with enough power at the time." Reiji said smartly, "The list is rather narrow."

She shook her head, returning to the book, "The King and Queen were dead by then, weren't they? The only ones left were Carla and Shin. As we know, he was weakened by Endzeit—"

"Reina—"

"I know, I know. But please listen. For him to still be alive—that sort of magic—"

"You've been thinking on this too much. It'd be best to sleep—"

"I think it was my father."

"What reason would your father have for such a thing? He was a tool, and nothing more."

Reina bit her lip. "I'm not sure yet."

"Come to bed," he said, pulling her into him, "These conspiracies can wait until morning."

"I'm fine—"

He threw her harshly onto the bed, declaring that it was enough. She obeyed him silently, shifting over to sit at the edge of the bed and undo her shoes. "Reiji…" she murmured, her hand rising to her necklace in habit, and he came to sit next to her, helping her undo the back of her dress.

"If they have truly broken free," she began, "They will come here first."

"We don't know that for certain."

"Do not lie to me, Reiji-san."

"I have no reason to."

He'd already finished with the buttons—he never understood why she was so against zippers— but they stayed just as they were, facing the row of cabinetry that glimmered with china.

"Eloise, by nature, is threatened. But with this…I can't help but wonder if they'd want revenge on my father."

"Your father is dead." Reiji stated simply.

"You know what I'm implying."

Reiji slid the dress's straps off her shoulders, catching sight of his scars on her nape, before he pressed his lips to the base of her neck. "As though I'd let anyone harm you."

"It's not me I'm worried about." She whispered.

"Mattaku," he smirked, turning her face so that she'd look at him, "I understand now why those humans did not allow their women to read. Their heads get full of nonsensical ideas."

She scoffed at that, shaking her head and standing up to slip out of her dress. Reiji reached under the pillows, where her nightgown rested, holding it low for her. She stepped into it, Reiji's fingers brushing her legs as she did so. She adjusted the straps and then let down her hair, before sitting on the bed again, taking a hold of her husband's tie to loosen it.

"You're keen on purple, aren't you?"

"It's a regal color."

She nodded, moving onto his shirt, unhooking the buttons. "It suits Kiara," she said, "With her black hair."

Reiji nodded, and she glanced at him before moving on to his belt. "How is she doing?"

"That girl is too headstrong for her own good."

"She's passionate." Reina corrected.

"About all the wrong things." Reiji insisted. "She has talent in the lab. I don't see why she insists on discussing such ridiculous things with that half blood—"

"Perspective is a good thing, Reiji-san."

"What would she know of perspective?"

"Perhaps that's why she so desperately seeks it." Reina looked up at him, and he stood up, finishing dressing himself.

"Eloise will be sixteen soon…" she said it as though she were in a dream, the mattress shifting under Reiji's weight as he climbed in.

"Indeed."

"How will they react, do you think?"

"With resentment, of course."

"Even Kiara?"

"Especially her."

Reina put her hand on her husband's chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

"If you are looking for someone to feel sorry for, then l would suggest the Queen."

Reina sighed, "Shu should have told her sooner."

"He has yet to tell her."

Reina's head shot up, her eyes wide, "You can't be serious—"

"He will always do as he pleases."

Reina closed her fist around her husband's shirt, before smoothing out the fabric. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"It is out of our hands, in any case."

"You don't really think that." She said softly, closing her eyes, succumbing to sleep.

Reiji looked at her, considering everything she'd said up until now. "No," he whispered, stroking her arm mindlessly, "Perhaps I do not."

…

After her own ceremony, Kiara's life seemed to slow down. To a pace that seemed almost unnatural. To Kiara, it felt like they were waiting for something, but no one knew when it would arrive. Or what it was they were waiting for. She wasn't at the castle very much these days. But today was an exception. Because it was her parent's anniversary, and because she needed to hunt.

Kiara and Edgar would always hunt together. And afterwards, they'd relax on the castle's roof, enjoying the sky. It was one of the few times they got to spend together anymore, what with the way Shiroyama clung to Edgar.

"He's not so bad."

"He's obsessed! I get it's his job and everything—"

"He just had a bunch of pressure from him family. You know how it is."

Kiara let out an annoyed 'tch,' standing up and walking to the edge of the roof.

"Kiara."

"I'm kind of sick of it all. I want to run. I want to swim. I want to touch the bottom of the ocean and have the waves smack my face. I wanna to ride a rollercoaster!—"

"Kiara."

She kicked some rubble off the roof. "I know."

"How are things with Leon?"

She stayed silent for a long moment, before clearing her throat. "We broke up."

"You mean _you_ broke up with him."

"Don't give me that." She snapped.

"What was it this time?"

She didn't look at him. "He kept saying he loved me. It was absolutely irritating."

"Kiara…"

"Don't you _Kiara_ me. You're one to talk. Rejecting every possible girl that comes your way."

"They're only after my title."

"Not all of them."

"Still," he said, turning the topic back to her, "It's a shame."

"Leon and I?"

He nodded.

She shrugged.

"You two seemed very close."

"We had sex, you mean."

Edgar paled, which was a true feat for someone as white as him, "I-I—"

She shrugged, "It's fine. It's not like you're a virgin either. We can talk about these things."

"Kiara!"

She laughed, "So don't preach to me."

Edgar blushed. "How did...I…"

"You can smell it, you know." She said softly.

His blush darkened. "Can you really?"

She nodded, "If you know what to look for, yeah. I'm learning all sorts of stuff in that lab." She laughed to herself again. "Who was it? Your first I mean."

Edgar swallowed thickly, going red to his ears, "That's…I mean…"

"Oh my god, please don't answer that. You're as red as Yuma's tomatoes. Relax."

Edgar nodded, clearing his throat. He then licked his lips, before looking at her again, "Did you not love him? Leon?"

She scrunched up her features, "You're still on that? No I didn't _love_ him. Jeez I didn't even know anything about him."

"You were together a decent amount of time…" Edgar offered.

Kiara waved her hand, "It was on and off, honestly. He kept talking about being a proper lady and all that bullshit."

"It wouldn't kill you to add with a bit more decorum."

"I think it would," she snapped, "I have to fake enough with my mom and Papa."

"They just want what's best for you."

She glared at him. "Who's side are you on?"

Edgar sighed. Somehow it always ended this way. "I better get going," he said, standing up, "Or Koichi will get worried."

Kiara shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That guy's more of a wife than a bodyguard."

Edgar stiffened, opening his mouth to say something, but then decided against it. "Tell your parents happy anniversary for me."

"Sure…" she muttered, before her head shot up, "Edgar!"

"Yeah?"

She pulled a piece of lint that wasn't there off her pants. "He gave her a rose."

Edgar looked at her. "Well, that's romantic, isn't it?"

"She looked so happy," Kiara said, crinkling her features, "But it was just a flower. Something like that...it's already dying. What's the point?"

"That's a rather morbid way of looking at things, Kiara. Besides, I feel like he could give your mother anything and she'd be happy."

"Well that's just it," she said, "How can anyone ever feel that way over someone?"

He cocked his head slightly, "You know…I'm sure if you talk to Leon…he'd understand—"

"This isn't about Leon," she snapped, waving her hand dismissively, "Go back to Shiroyama. He's probably already looking for you. We were late as is."

"Don't stay out too long," Edgar warned, squeezing her hand before jumping off the roof.

Kiara sighed as she was left alone, looking up at the moon.

And it would've been fine, like that. Until something smacked her upside the head.

"Ow, what the fu—"

An apple rolled beside her, announcing the culprit. She picked it up and rubbed it on her pants, before taking a bite. "You're kind of an ass, you know."

"You have a right to your opinion," He said carelessly, taking a seat next to her, and then pulling out a sugar cube. "Heard about the breakup."

She groaned, "Not you too."

He smirked, "Fine, fine. Won't mention it."

"Thanks," She mumbled, taking the sugar.

"How goes the lab work?"

She took another bite of the apple, the sugar still sweet on her tongue. "You know, we can fix almost anything," she said, mouth still half full, "Except memory."

He smirked, "Figures."

"It's too fragile," she continued, "New memories could be created to erase the old ones. Did you know that? Your brain can actually _create_ memories, even if you've never experienced something. It's the same for humans. Probably how Karlheinz was able to manipulate so many people."

"I don't really care about that sort of thing anymore." He said honestly.

She looked at him. "Aren't you curious though?"

He shrugged, "Can't be helped. Besides," He looked at her, "I'd rather make new memories."

She looked him up and down, before shoving him lightly, "That almost sounded suggestive."

"Maybe it was supposed to be."

"You're an idiot."

He chuckled, pulling out another piece of sugar and popping it in his mouth. "Think of running away again?"

"It wouldn't be that hard." She insisted.

"You got a good life here." He said.

She groaned. "Yes I _know_ that. But it's not what I _want._ "

"Ain't that selfish as fuck?"

She stayed quiet for a bit, before bringing her knees up to her chest. "I read it. Marx, I mean." Avoiding questions seemed to be what she did best.

"And?"

"It's stupid."

He laughed. "You really are a princess."

"Well it's just not fair." She said.

"Sure it is," he said, "Equality for everyone. No matter what."

"Well that's exactly what's not fair. If I go and work hard for my stuff then it's mine. I shouldn't have to give it up to anyone."

"That's the point," he explained, "You don't need all that stuff. And if everyone works hard then—"

"That'll never happen."

"With the right leadership—"

"Right right, _they can't represent themselves._ You really are nothing but a hopeless farm boy."

That seemed to piss him off, because he bared his fangs at her, before looking away, his arms tense, as though he were holding in his anger. She couldn't help but smile at that. "You're better than most people. You can take pride in that. No need to change the world."

"I just want something better."

Giggles parted her lips. "So much more than this provincial life~" She teased, nudging him again. He looked at her as though she were crazy. Her face fell flat. "Oh come on! Beauty and the Beast! Belle…" the look on his face spoke for his ignorance, and so she sighed. "Nevermind."

Yuma blinked, before letting his legs dangle over the edge of the roof. "Well, that sort of thing would be impossible anyway."

She let her own dangle in turn. "You'd need an army," she said, winking and pointing her thumb at herself, "I know a guy."

Yuma chuckled and pushed her dangerously close to the edge, "Like you'd ever survive a war."

"Sure I could! I throw a mean punch."

"You punch like a girl."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Either way that'd take a whole hell of a lot. Not to mention it'd be a giant ass fucking mess. Everything burning everywhere, all ruined and shattered."

"That's got a nice ring to it though, don't you think?"

"Everything ruined and shattered?"

"Mm," he smirked, "Sounds like revolution."

She cackled at that, slapping him hard across the back. "Should've been a poet, Yuma _._ "

"You think so?"

"No," she stuck her tongue out again, "You suck at it."

They sat in quiet for a bit, until Kiara stood up, dusting herself off. "I guess, you could team up with the other half-vampires. That might be something to see."

"Oh sure. Storm the castle. Easy peasy." He mused, leaning back on his elbows.

She laughed at that, shaking her head.

"Would ya fight with me?"

She shot him a look. "You're crazy. I'd sit right here and watch Shiroyama beat your ass."

It was now Yuma's turn to laugh, shaking his head, and popping another sugar in his mouth.

"You're gonna get diabetes."

"The fuck is that?"

"A human disease."

"Like hell."

She smirked. "Imma go to bed. Sun'll be up soon."

"Don't wanna watch the sun rise?" He suggested.

She smiled, and pushed his head down, calling him annoying. "That sort of thing is for poets."

"Like me?" He said.

She looked at him curiously, as though she were looking at him for the first time. "Yeah," she breathed, "Like you."


	5. Chapter 5

The thing about ceremonies was, they required these _huge_ dresses. But at least this one was black. The one she had to wear for her own coming of age had been a blinding pink. She might as well have been wedding Barbie.

But now it was Eloise's turn to fill that role, the shimmering princess that everyone could fawn over.

Kiara didn't really want to take part in it. She'd go congratulate Eloise of course. Little thing always got so nervous about these things. Really, she shouldn't have been. She had all the poise and grace a princess was _supposed_ to have, so she got on just fine. And if this night was supposed to be all about Eloise, Kiara didn't understand why _she_ had to wear a tiara.

But Mother had insisted on it, so she did it to make her happy.

With a final twist, her hair was done up, and she looked positively perfect, smiling at herself in the mirror, thinking she looked like a Dark Mistress. Black hair, black dress; dark eyes and a cold, silver crown. It fit her nicely.

Feeling somewhat like a pastry, she slid past the servants and into the pantry, deciding that if she looked like a cake she might as well _eat_ some. Mother always said she'd inherited Uncle Kanato's taste for sweets.

Though logically speaking, that sort of thing was impossible.

The party was already in full swing, Kiara late as usual, but if she stayed in the pantry a few minutes she didn't think anyone would notice.

"You look very beautiful, Princess."

 _Shit,_ she hadn't even heard the door open. Maybe she really _did_ love sweets.

She scoffed, "Flattery gets you nowhere, Mr. Mukami."

"Mr. Mukami?" He grinned, "That's pretty formal, isn't it? We're in a closet and all."

"It's a pantry," she corrected, "And formalities should be upheld even in the most meager of places."

"That's pretty _bourgeois."_ He teased.

She giggled at that, taking a bite of a cookie. But before she'd gotten the chance to begin chewing, Yuma leaned in, and took a bite of the rest.

"Yuma!" She complained with a full mouth, bringing a hand up to her lips and swallowing thickly, "Get your own!" She chastised in a sharp whisper.

"Hey," he said, suddenly very close, despite the fact that the pantry was rather large. "Remember when you called me Kuma-san?"

She smiled at that, taking another cookie, "Well you were as big as a bear, back then."

"And now?"

She bit into the sweet, poking his stomach, "Now I think it's just fat."

"Why ya little—"

She giggled, dodging him, running deeper into the pantry. He caged her in, taking her cookie once more, holding it between his teeth. She reached for it, taking it successfully, but he grabbed her by the wrist, moving her hand away and leaning in fully, capturing her lips between his own.

She inhaled sharply, her legs frozen beneath her skirt. He pulled away with sheepish eyes, while hers held nothing more than shock.

"Kiara, I—"

The door creaked, and she slammed her hand over his mouth, dragging him behind the sacks of flour, crouching quietly.

"Ko-chan, someone will see—"

"You worry too much, My Lord."

"But Ko—"

Kiara sat frozen, the sound of breathless kisses coming from what could only be Edgar and Shiroyama.

"K-Koichi," Edgar stammered, "P-Please—"

"I know." Came the soft whisper, and a gentle ruffling of hair. "Are you cross with me, My Lord?"

There was another soft sound of a kiss, to which Edgar replied he could never be cross with him.

Kiara trembled, looking at Yuma with disbelief, expecting him to have a similar reaction. But his face was hard, his eyes expressionless. There was a quiet ruffling of something or other, Edgar quietly protesting.

"We should go—"

"One more," Shiroyama insisted, and there was a soft shuffle of feet, Edgar's trembling moan completely undeniable.

Kiara felt her face flush, hearing the door creak open, a ray of light nearly reaching the flour sacks, before shrinking again as the door shut quietly.

She swallowed, looking over at Yuma with a certain sense of shame, trying to find the right words.

He looked at her. "You can't tell anyone—"

Part of her raged. She was offended, almost, at the fact that he'd spoken up first. That Yuma had been the one to defend Edgar before she had the chance. "Of course not," she hissed, "He's my best friend—"

"Let's go." Yuma said, standing up abruptly, heading for the door, "I got a bad feeling about today."

She didn't like the way he said that, but followed him anyway, grabbing another cookie on the way out and shoving it into her mouth angrily.

Yuma seemed to disappear in a matter of moments. Which really was a feat, for such a large guy. And suddenly, she slowed her chewing, her mind rushing with sensory overload.

Edgar had kissed Shiroyama. And Shiroyama had kissed Edgar. And they both seemed to like it.

And Yuma had kissed _her._ Where had that come from? A prank? That guy was always…

"Kiara."

Her entire being filled with dread. But it was frightening, how quickly her demeanor changed, how easily that smile placed itself on her face, her features arranged in proper ladylike etiquette. "Leon! So good to see you, I was just—"

"I was hoping we could talk. Later, when it's convenient for you."

She smiled politely, cocking her head like a coquette. "I do apologize, Leon. It's Eloise's party, and the royal family is dreadfully busy as I'm sure you know—"

He reached for her hand. She nearly smacked it away.

"Yes. Yes I know quite well. But Kiara I—"

"Kiara."

They both stopped, Leon dropping her hand immediately, clearing his throat and bowing politely. "Sakamaki-san."

Kiara exhaled in relief. "Hello, Father."

Leon excused himself, skimping away in complete and utter fear, and Kiara snickered.

"Cover your mouth, if you are to laugh in such an obscene way."

She nodded, looking up at her father in gratitude. "Thank you, Papa." She said most genuinely.

"A man with no backbone. That he was invited back in the first place is a complete..."

She'd already been through all that before. Was happy for it, sort of. Papa always took her side when it came to those things. Would belittle her potential suitors to the point where they ran from a single glance. Which was hilarious, of course. Because if they couldn't take a few smartly placed words from her father then Kiara figured they weren't worth the time anyway.

"Would you like to dance, Father?" She said, interrupting him.

Reiji sighed. She hated when he did that. It just had a way of sounding like _you're a disappointment._ Which was dumb, since he gave in every time anyway.

"Very well."

There it was.

He led her out onto the ballroom floor, twirling her once before placing his hand on her waist.

"Penny for your thoughts," He said monotonously, as they swirled about the room. That man always seemed to know what was going on in her head.

"Papa," she said seriously, thinking of Edgar, "If someone were to…well, if a relationship were… _unconventional_ —"

"I forbid it."

She swallowed, her heart stopping. He looked down at her, as though his comment were obvious. "He's a _gardener._ "

She relaxed, exhaling with a certain sense of relief. "Oh, not that. I don't—I mean to say it's not about me."

"Speak clearly."

She cleared her throat, trying to pick the proper wording. If she gave her cousin away she'd never forgive herself. "Well, for example…if Yuma…were perhaps to…say Yuma were involved with the King—"

"An adulterous homosexual pairing?"

"Er…well not… _adulterous,_ exactly, what I mean to say is, if Yuma took the place of Auntie Yui…"

He was looking at her. And she was blabbing. He'd definitely have her ear for that.

"If you are speaking of the Young Lord, I suggest you don't interfere in the private affairs of others."

She stood frozen, completely dumbstruck. The music had stopped, and a new song had begun, but Kiara was hardly aware of any of it.

"H-How…How did you—"

"Do not stutter, Kiara. It's deplorable."

"But how could you possibly know? I didn't even—"

"I am simply observant." He replied shortly, before adjusting his glasses, saying that he was going to find her mother.

Kiara watched him walk away. Her father truly was one terrifying man. She had to do something. Talk to Edgar. Or maybe Shiroyama. No no, not that guy. Edgar would be better. How long had this been going on for? Why didn't he tell her? They told each other _everything._ He didn't seriously think she'd reject him for it, did he? She didn't care about that sort of thing.

Really, what pissed her off was the fact that it was Shiroyama. Edgar could do better than _that._

But oh fuck if her father knew then…

No, Papa wouldn't tell anyone about that sort of thing. He didn't tell anyone much of anything, really. So that meant…

Oh, _Edgar._ You _idiot._

"Kiara!"

People sure were intent on calling out to her today. But Kiara smiled upon realizing who it was, the simple golden band accentuating the princess's white-blonde hair.

"Your Highness," she said humbly, curtseying formally.

"Oh hush," Eloise said, pulling her up by the hands, "Come dance with me. All those old men are dreadful."

Kiara laughed, nodding at the princess, "Well, they tend to be." Eloise joined her by giggling, and the two girls danced playfully around the ballroom, chatting and gossiping.

Eloise was very much like Kiara's own mother, enraptured by love stories and impeccably well mannered.

Even Papa spoke well about Eloise. Which was truly something, considering Eloise's father was _that man._

But Eloise was pretty. Smart, too. She'd probably get that prince charming she always talked about. Kiara certainly hoped so.

"…is a shame. But I never liked him much."

Kiara shook her head, agreeing with her cousin. "Neither did I."

"You were together for so long—"

"Five months really isn't that long—"

"Well forget him," Eloise said excitedly, swiping her hand as though she could get rid of Leon in that one simple motion, "What of the gardener?"

Kiara paled. "What about him?"

"He's smitten with you, isn't he?"

Only Eloise could use a word like _smitten_ and get away with it. "I don't know," Kiara shrugged, "You know how he is with us…we were always playing around when we were kids—"

"You're not a child anymore," Eloise grinned widely, "Don't you think it'd be exciting? A love like that—"

"It's not love. He doesn't see me that way. _I_ don't see him that way."

Eloise pouted slightly, and for some reason Kiara became keenly aware of the gold on her head. It fit her well indeed.

"Well _I_ think it's romantic."

Kiara laughed. "You think everything's roman—" She stopped, shivers running down her spine. Eloise looked at her with slight confusion, looking about the room. "Kiara…" she whispered.

Everything seemed to stop. The music no longer played, the vampires no longer danced. The only sound was a distant one, faint and humming.

It came like rain. Soft at first, nothing but light _pattata-pattatas_ against the ground. But then came the thunder, rolling and crashing through the castle, shattering the glass of the large windows, shards flying all around them.

_Wolves._

Kiara felt herself hit the ground, and for a moment she thought the roof had collapsed, until she saw Yuma hovering over her. "Are you hurt?"

"Idiot! Go cover Eloise!"

"You first—"

"I'm not important!" She yelled, pushing him out of the way, "Get the princess, and get the _fuck_ out of here!"

When Yuma hesitated, she pushed him again, struggling to stand up with the weight of her dress, but before she had the chance she was met with black eyes, one of the wolves heading straight for her, foaming at it's mouth. Yuma stepped in, shielding her, and all she could think of was how much a lovestruck _idiot_ he was, because if anyone needed protecting it was—

"SHU!"

It was a bloodcurdling scream, Auntie Yui and everyone else watching in horror as a wolf _tore_ through the Vampire King, the sheer amount of blood enough to make anyone—

Kiara was knocked down again, her jaw knocking against the tile. She had the wind knocked out of her, and before she could try to get up, to get off of her stomach, she was pushed down, the feel of fur brushing against her skin.

She froze.

Warm breath covered her neck, heavy pants and a large paw against her back, pinning her to the ground. She couldn't move like this. Couldn't even see the damn beast that would inevitably rip her throat out.

_What a shitty way to die._

"I'm going to be borrowing you, _Your Highness._ "

Her eyes widened, and she would have screamed if she hadn't been yanked by the strings of her dress, only to be dragged through the broken windows and out into the gardens.

This was no wolf.

"You bastard!" She shouted, "You'll never get away with this!"

A gloved hand covered her eyes, foreign fingers shoved into her mouth, forcing her something that tasted hopelessly bitter.

The last thing she remembered was a dark chuckle, and the deep black of the leather glove.

_"We already have."_


	6. Chapter 6

Behind the door, the King was dying.

One could hardly understand Yui through the tears.

"He just—in front of me—he shouldn't have—"

"Calm yourself," Reiji bit coldly, "This is not the time to lose composure—"

"Reiji," Reina scolded, "Her husband just—"

"But _she's_ the Queen," He growled, turning his attention to Yui, "And unless you intend to appoint one of your children then the demon world will turn to _you_." He scoffed, "What a sad day indeed."

He slammed the door behind him, which surprised everyone, Yui's shoulders shaking from her sobs.

"Please don't—" Reina tried, "He'll be able to heal Shu. He's only shaken, just as we all are. And—"

Yui hugged the pureblood, crying into Reina's shoulder, "I'm so sorry. Somehow this feels like—"

There was shouting coming from inside the room, and Reiji came out, slamming the door once again. When he saw the two women still there, his eyes became livid, "For the last time get into the cellar. You can both—"

"Reiji." Reina said forcefully, "She wants to see her husband. And I want to find our daughter."

Reiji grabbed her by the shoulders, nearly shaking his wife, "Do you sense her? At all? You know what happened just as well as I. If they return—"

Yui gasped, sobbing all over again, "Kiara? Is she—You don't mean—"

Reiji clicked his tongue, filled with annoyance and anger and the desire to kill, "She's not dead. But they took her."

"The wolves," Yui exhaled shakily, "They…they were—weren't they?"

"Enough! This needs to be—"

"Reiji!"

"Please," Yui couldn't stop her tears, "Just let me see him."

"Reiji," Reina took hold of her husbands hand, squeezing it. "This is not her fault." She whispered.

 _"Agree to disagree."_ He muttered through gritted teeth.

Reina dropped her husband's hand, taking Yui's instead, and guiding the Queen into the room. The door shut softly behind them, just as Yuma ran up to Reiji. "The wing's been sealed."

"What of the guests?"

"Most teleported. The few we got are down in the basement. They're willin' to fight."

Reiji sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We cannot afford a war right now."

"How is he?" Yuma said, dropping his voice.

"More than likely he will not die." Reiji said grimly.

"Well shit, you could say that a bit better! For fuck's sake—"

"Know your place, Mukami," Reiji bit sharply, "He's gravely injured. People won't fall behind a weakened King. Edgar cannot fight and Eloise is out of the question."

"Then why don't you do it if you're so smart?"

"My concern is not with the King's subjects."

Yuma scoffed, "Only care about yourself—typical—"

"My, my. Haven't you realized it by now?"

Yuma stopped, looking down at Reiji, suddenly deathly uneasy by the tone in that guy's voice.

"…What?"

"Tell me, Gardener. Where is my daughter?"

Yuma's eyes widened, filling with the anxiety of horror. "With Edgar! And Eloise! Shiroyama—that guy—"

Reiji stayed silent, his red eyes cutting through the half-blood.

"No…" Yuma shook his head, "No she—"

"Reiji," Reina came out from the room, her features expressionless, "I must speak with you."

He followed her into the next room, but not without telling Yuma to wait out in the hall.

Reina burst into sobs the moment he closed the door, clinging to his chest. Reiji stiffened. It had been a long time since he had last seen her cry in such a way. Disheveled, without composure. "Reina—"

"We should have told them! We could have been more prepared—"

"What's done is done."

"Is it? And what now? What of our daughter?"

"They'll kill her."

She looked up at him, seperating herself slightly. "Don't you _dare—"_

"The moment they realize she is not Eloise, they will kill her."

She slapped him, tears in her eyes. _"Don't."_

Reiji took it silently, adjusting his glasses which had shifted from the hit. Reina trembled a hand over her mouth. "Forgive me. Reiji—"

He left, leaving Reina to her own tears, in the quiet emptiness of the room. Right now was not the time to let emotions get the best of them. "Gardener," he called, walking straight ahead, and Yuma fell into step behind him.

"My daughter," he said, "You love her."

"Sir—"

"It was not a question, Mukami," Reiji said flatly, "Your gaze follows her, and you gave her priority over Lady Eloise."

Yuma hesitated, clearing his throat. "Yes, sir."

"I leave it to you to find her."

"I—"

"You were a soldier were you not? You can accomplish this much at least."

"But the King—"

"Does not need you. We cannot spare any guards. But we can spare a gardener."

Yuma glared at Reiji. "And what if I don't bring her back? What if I just take her with me?"

"Then, Mr. Mukami," Reiji said, rolling up his sleeves, "I will do you the honor of killing you myself."

Yuma stood still, stopping just outside the castle library.

"I assume you will be timely? The longer it takes, the more likely they'll know the true status of her blood."

"What happens if they do?"

Reiji looked him up and down. "She dies."

The gardener's eyes widened, before he cleared his throat, nodding his head. "Yes, sir."

Reiji nodded in return, and stepped into the library, slamming the door behind him. It wasn't long before Reina rushed in, still in her ballgown, her hair falling loosely to the side. "He's coughing up blood."

"That's natural," Reiji said calmly, picking out a book and flipping through the pages.

"Reiji please," she begged, "For once there is a sense of urgency—"

He threw the book down. "Do you think I'm not aware of it? How long do you think I told that good-for-nothing that it would end this way? But once again he gets away with everything. The royal family is safe. His wounds will heal. If he must suffer in the meantime then so be it."

Reina exhaled shakily, taking her husbands hands into her own, her head falling onto his chest. "She has a strong spirit. And a quick mind. They won't—"

"It is unwise to work with assumptions."

"They're all we have."

Reiji pulled away from his wife, picking up the book that he'd thrown on the floor. Reina inhaled, shaking her head, because the book was a medicinal one.

"They will assume her blood is tainted," Reiji speculated, flipping through the book, "Purification can take up to six month's time…" he continued, looking for another book, "However, when they see that her blood does not change they will know her true identity."

Reina swallowed thickly. "That is…assuming she can convince them that…"

"Yes, that's right." Reiji folded the page, closing the book, "I will need my toxins to stop His Majesty's cough."

Reina nodded, taking the books from her husband. "They've closed off the entire East Wing. But take Shiroyama with you—"

"No. He stays with the prince—"

"Another guard then," Reina urged, "Please."

Reiji squeezed her hand. "As you wish. Try to ease that woman's nerves."

Reina nodded, saying that she would.

"Reina."

"Yes-"

She hadn't even the chance to turn around, before his lips took hers, his hold on her desperate, almost, and Reina could taste the anguish on his tongue. She pulled away, breathless, her hand on his face while she tilted his head to kiss the opposite cheek. "She'll be all right, darling. After all," she managed to smile, "She's our daughter."

That was exactly what frightened him the most.

…

"I'm not dying, woman. So stop your tears."

"But it's my fault. If—"

Shu groaned, shifting to better look at his wife, "The fault is theirs."

"If you hadn't stepped in front—"

"They would have taken you from me."

Yui took a deep inhale, placing a shaking hand over her husband's cheek. "They took Kiara." She whispered.

Shu took her hand, prying it from his cheek and placing it over his chest instead. "Because they thought she was Eloise."

"Eloise? Because she's our daughter?"

Shu swallowed thickly, closing his eyes to ignore the pain, "Because she has your blood."

Yui crinkled her features, scanning her husband's face for an answer. "Shu?"

"Our daughter," he exhaled, "Is not a vampire."

"I don't," she shook her head, "I don't understand—"

"You don't need to—"

"Shu—"

They were interrupted by a door opening, Reiji holding a tray full of various bottles and liquids. "Coughing up blood like a mediocre human. If your subjects could see you now we'd have a civil war."

Yui generally stayed quiet when it came to the brother's comments. But her husband could very well die, and she had had enough. "He did it to protect me—"

Reiji ignored her completely, focusing his attention on Shu while he mixed some ingredients together, "Showing weakness now will only worsen matters."

"That's what Eloise is for." The Vampire Lord replied through gritted teeth.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, looking from the King to his vials. "And you will continue to insist it as such. Doing so will only draw more attention—"

"It has to be her."

Yui outstretched her arm, as though she were trying to cut her way into the conversation, "It'd be Edgar," she said seriously, "He's next in line."

"Edgar is not fit to be King." Reiji said plainly.

Yui's eyes flashed with anger, and before she had the chance to open her mouth, Shu spoke up, "He's right."

"Shu—"

The door opened, Reina looking directly at Yui. "We have to go."

"Go? Go where?"

"It's for your own safety." Shu insisted.

"I'm not leaving you!" Yui protested, taking hold of her husband's arm, "I don't care what your brother has told you, we're—"

"Woman," Shu exhaled, taking her hand off his arm, "It's to protect you. They could strike again—"

"I don't care—"

"Yui," Reina offered gently, placing her hand on the Queen's back, "Right now is not the time to be brave. Your children need you. Eloise especially."

Yui turned desperately to Shu, tears gathering around her eyes once more, "I know you all think—but I deserve to know what's happening! I'm not a human anymore—"

"Reina." Reiji said calmly.

That seemed to be enough, because Reina nodded, and ushered the Queen out of the room. "I'll explain on the way, is that all right?"

Yui shook her head, lunging for Shu again, "Please. Don't treat me like an outsider."

Shu sighed to hide his groan of pain, adjusting on the bed again. "Yui," he said, "Go with Reina."

She began to cry once more, "Shu…"

Reina squeezed the Queen's arm in encouragement, "It will be all right."

"But I—"

"Stop with your feeble protestings!" Reina said suddenly, entirely out of patience, "Be grateful that your family is still in tact! I've lost my _daughter._ Have the decency to gain some composure. You wonder why your husband keeps things from you—it's for this very reason! Have some dignity!"

Yui stood frozen, her tears shocked into halting. It was not often Reina raised her voice at anyone. So she nodded silently, following her out of the room, gripping at her hand the way one would an older sister.

"I'm so scared," Yui admitted, once they were far enough from the King's quarters.

Reina squeezed her hand. "We all are."


	7. Chapter 7

She didn't have to remove the blindfold to know where she was.

"Is that her?" A low voice filled the room in a rumbling echo.

"Who else would it be?" Shin snapped, kicking her from behind, so that she fell to her knees, her face hitting the floor. Her hands were bound, so that she could not push herself up.

"Stand up." Ordered the low voice, but he could have told her a million times and it'd have been no good.

"Oy!" Shin yanked her by the elbow, making her stagger, "He fucking told you to get up!"

The blindfold was removed suddenly, along with the binds on her hands, Kiara hardly getting the moment to adjust before she was wrapped in cold arms, fangs sinking into her shoulder. She screamed, and was abruptly let go, pushed to the floor again, her skirt sprawling around her.

"That's vile." The low voice declared, which she now recognized to be Carla Tsukinami.

Shin sniffed the air, glaring at her. "Heh. Bit of a slut, aren't ya?"

"Shin," the King ordered, "Fix this."

She was grabbed by Carla himself, who picked her up the floor easily, with a single hand. "When the time comes, I will drain you," he threatened lowly, "And you will cure me." He then tossed her to Shin, who caught her in his arms. She stumbled awkwardly, trying to stand on her own. With that, Carla left the room, leaving Kiara alone with the younger brother.

Her hair had come completely undone, the bottom of her dress was torn, she'd lost her shoes and yet _somehow_ that blasted tiara was still on her head.

"Your Majesty." Shin smirked down at her, showing off his fangs the way teenage boys did to impress girls.

"Let go of me," she snapped, escaping his grip.

He clicked his tongue. "You should be nicer to me, you know. I'm the only thing stopping him from killing you."

She glared at him, "I'm no use to him dead." Though she wasn't sure what use she was _alive_ , but she didn't think on that too much.

Shin only continued to smirk, "Don't think you have an advantage, Your Majesty. You're completely at our mercy."

She growled, it now being her turn to bare her teeth, "You're not the only one with a pair of fangs, Tsukinami."

He clicked his tongue again, cackling, "That's a bit informal isn't it? Considering you're a whore." He grabbed her by the top of her dress, "How many vampires did you fuck for your blood to taste that bad?"

She spit on him, and he scoffed, wiping his cheek. "You're gonna regret that."

In a moment he took her, sinking his own fangs into her skin, deepening the bite Carla had left moments before. She struggled to get him off, but he only sank his fangs in more, before finally taking her blood.

He pulled away instantly, almost faster than Carla had, staggering as he separated himself from her. With the back of his hand, he wiped his mouth. "Who the fuck are you." His voice hardly reached above a whisper.

She glared at him, not saying a word. He smacked her face, so hard that she fell to the ground, the pain throbbing in her head.

"I said who are you!"

"Kiara…Sakamaki…" she groaned, hoisting herself up on her arms, trying to stand up. But it didn't matter, because Shin pulled her up by her arm, grabbing her chin between rigid fingers. It hurt.

"Your mother! It's that girl, isn't it? The one with the demon woman's heart!"

Kiara scoffed, looking off to the side though she could no move her face, "You really are an idiot. How the founders have fallen—"

_Did they want Eloise, then?_

"Shut up!" He hit her again, letting her fall to the floor. He stepped on her back with a heavy boot, and pulled her head up by her black hair. "Don't make me fucking say it again. Who are you?"

"And I'll fucking tell you again," she spat, "Kiara Sakamaki!"

He tugged harshly at her hair, and Kiara winced, thinking he might tear it all out, but he banged her head against the floor.

"Who are your parents?" He growled, his voice dangerously low.

Kiara struggled, figuring he'd kill her either way. "Reiji…Sakamaki."

He yanked her hair again and she yelped, hardly understanding what he was yelling at her. "Your mother! Who's your fucking mother!"

"Reina!" She gasped, "Reina Sampson!"

He let her go so suddenly that the front of her face hit the floor, her lip starting to bleed. Nothing could have been more terrifying in that moment than the way he began to laugh.

"Sampson? As in _Marcellus_ Sampson?"

Kiara swallowed, her head rushing. "He's my grandfather."

Shin smirked, laughing again. "Marrying into the Sakamakis eh? Who took his place, had to be those fucking Shiroyamas right?"

Kiara stretched out her jaw, bringing her hand up to her cheek. "You seem confident enough even without me telling you."

He glared at her, and for a moment she thought he might hit her again. But he didn't. Instead he grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her out of the room. Kiara tripped over her skirt.

"Oy, hey! Slow down! Hey you shithead I said slow dow—"

He pulled her to him, growling, "You need to learn your place, _Vampire_. The only reason you're not dead right now is because I haven't fucking snapped yet."

"If you're going to kill me anyway then I see no need for me to—"

He smacked her face again, effectively shutting her up. But he pulled her close, dangerously close, his breath on her face. "Carla's worse than me, you know? What would he do if he found out you were the wrong girl?"

Kiara pursed her lips, refusing to look at him, "Probably kill you for kidnapping the wrong person."

He growled, and she closed her eyes, prepared for the hit that never came. "Seems we could both use each other then." He murmured, right into her ear, his fangs brushing threateningly over her skin. She shivered.

"I'd rather die." She said calmly.

She didn't get to see his reaction, because he grabbed her by the hair, practically ripping out her scalp as he pulled her along, tossing her into one room or another. She almost hit her head on the tile, before she realized she was in a bathroom. Or rather, on a bathroom floor.

"Strip."

Oh, he _had_ to be joking.

"Hurry up! From now on you belong to me," he grinned, "Carla's orders."

She rolled her eyes, leaning against the tub and spreading out her legs under the skirt. She rested her head on the edge of the bath, closing her eyes. "Do you not have anything unless your older brother says so?"

He slashed at the front of her dress, strips of her corset spiraling into ribbons.

"What the fuck this was expensive—"

"I've got more than _you,_ " he said darkly, "Got that, _Toy_?"

She swallowed, holding her head high. "My name is Kiara."

"Your name!" He shouted, grabbing her by the hair again, twisting the faucet and shoving her face beneath it, "Is whatever the fuck I say it is!"

She choked, the water going up her nose, Kiara hopelessly trying to spit it out. "Alright alright fuck!"

He let her go, Kiara coughing and clutching at her throat, before wiping her face with her arm. Her black hair dripped down her shoulders, the tiara finally having fallen off, sinking in the tub. The rush of the water matched the blood rushing in her ears.

"Now," Shin said casually, tossing the towels off the chair by the sink and swinging it around, straddling it and resting his arms on the back of the chair, "Strip."

She looked him dead in the face, "You're an idiot."

Before he could react she sat on the edge of the tub, sighing and rolling her eyes, "I know you guys have been holed up for forever, but women's fashion hasn't exactly changed. There's no way I'm gonna get out of this corset myself. But," she swung her legs around, dipping her feet into the tub and turning off the faucet. "I don't mind if the dress gets wet. You've ruined it anyway."

He looked her up and down suspiciously, before biting at his glove and pulling it off. "C'mere." He said, motioning with his hand.

She did as she was told, even taking the initiative to brush her hair out of the way, presenting her back to him. She was half expecting him to rip it to shreds, but he surprised her, undoing the laces carefully—slowly, even— until it was completely undone. Kiara swallowed thickly again. His hands were warm.

She didn't bother to hold onto the top of the dress, instead allowing it to slide down, bunching up on the floor. She stepped away from him though, keeping her back to him to undo her bra. But he called out to her, telling her to turn around.

Clenching her jaw she did just that, sliding down the straps for him to see, completely flat-faced.

Shin scoffed, "Have some shame, would you Slut?"

"Shame would suggest I've internalized your gaze," she said, slipping out of her underwear while looking right at him, "But with only one eye I'd have to say it's a weak ass gaze—"

He grabbed her by the throat, picking her up and holding her against the wall. "You're just like that guy," he spat, squeezing her throat, "Thinking you're hot shit when you're nothing but vermin at our feet. You fucking snakes—" He squeezed one last time, and let her fall to his feet, before kicking her in the stomach, and spitting right by her face. "I'll break you," he growled, before laughing, "Hear that, Sampson!"

He made to kick her again, but she grabbed his foot, twisting it around. He nearly fell, holding his arms out to stop himself from hitting the ground. But then he sprawled out, laughing into the tile and hitting the ground with his fist, overcome by a fit of terrifying laughter.

"As expected! Come on!" He stood up, brushing himself off, sticking his hand into the tub to pull out the tiara, placing it back on her head. "Take a bath, would you? Clothes are on the bed." He grinned wildly, "We're gonna duel."

She looked at him as though he were crazy, self consciously bringing an arm to cover her chest, "Duel?!"

"Hurry up Sampson. I hate fucking waiting." With that he stormed out of the bathroom in a rush, slamming the door behind him. Kiara jumped at the sudden sound, not fully realizing what had just happened. With shaky legs she stepped into the tub, the tepid water warming her cold skin. And for a moment she just sat there, bringing her knees up to her chest.

That had been... _interesting_ to say the least.

She sighed. Everything hurt.

Things had probably exploded back home. She didn't really want to think about it. More than anything else she hoped Edgar and Eloise were ok. Probably. Shiroyama would protect Edgar to the death.

Shin had mentioned the Shiroyamas too. They hadn't always been the head of the royal guard. That title had belonged to the Sampson family for centuries. But it ended with Marcellus.

How long had the Tsukinamis been imprisoned again? She found herself wishing she had paid closer attention to her mother's lessons.

Remembering her mother made her squeeze her legs, her face heating up.

She'd just undressed. In front of Shin Tsukinami.

She sank into the tub, groaning and blowing out bubbles. Papa would murder her.

_Could you not act with more decency?_

_No,_ she thought grimly. That guy was pissing her off. Founder or not. Like hell she was gonna act embarrassed. She had more pride than that. Had been raised to have more pride than that.

The tiara began to slip, and Kiara clicked her tongue, ripping it off her head and tossing it, not looking to see where it landed.

Still, she was grateful. Grateful that it was her, and not Edgar or Eloise. Because Edgar would've been knocked out by now, and Eloise would probably be dead.

But…

What had he said? All she really remembered was the hits she got to her face. She rubbed her cheek as though to assure it was still there.

"The demon woman's heart…" she murmured aloud, as if that might help. It was Auntie Yui, no doubt. But Yui didn't seem to be his target. Eloise? Though Eloise was as much of a vampire as Kiara was…

Eloise… _was_ a vampire, wasn't she?

Kiara ran the soapy rag over her arms, thinking. Unless, Eloise didn't get away with everything simply because she was the youngest.

Well.

That sort of made sense. Unless the Tsukinamis were dead wrong. Which was also very likely. With Carla's endzeit they'd probably take anything they could get.

Which begged the question: why the hell was she still alive?

_Indeed._

Ew that was gross. She could hear Papa's voice in her head.

But she got the feeling Shin would end up telling her soon enough anyway. That guy sure liked to talk, from the looks of it.

Speaking of, hadn't he challenged her to a _duel?_

Like an actual _duel?_

With her eyesight she might do decent enough. What was it? Ten paces, count to three, shoot. Or was it count to ten, three paces, shoot?

Maybe it was neither of those things. Who fucking _dueled_ anymore? Just how long had these guys been locked up?

She shook her head, as though she were shaking the thoughts away, trying to focus. She should shoot a gun. It wouldn't be that hard. Yuma had shown her once.

She scrambled out of the tub. Ten paces, shoot. Nine paces, shoot. Would he cheat? He looked like the sort to cheat. Leaving wet footprints on the tile, she reached for the towel that Shin had tossed to the floor.

Which felt gross, really. Maybe she _was_ spoiled. Well, whatever. She wrapped her hair around, cringing as she did so because the towel had touched the _floor_ but tried to ignore it _,_ stepping into the bedroom and expecting him to be there.

To her relief, not only was he absent, but on the bed lay neatly folded black pants and a plain white shirt. Bless the gods that be for pants.

She rummaged through the drawers, looking for undergarments, but finding none. A low growl began at the base of her throat.

She could always...

Turn her current underwear inside out…

No no _no_ there was no way in _hell_ she was going to do that. She'd already used a dirty towel.

Sighing, she pulled the pants over her bare body. Commando it was. Running back into the bathroom, she grabbed her bra, and undid the towel before slipping into the t-shirt and pulling her hair out from under the neckline. She wished there would have been a hairbrush at least, but unable to do anything about it she settled with just tying it up around itself.

He'd provided her with a pair of boots, and luckily some socks, so she put them on and headed towards the door, half expecting it to be locked when she tugged on the handle. But it was open, and with a quick glance around the hall, she took two cautious steps outside.

"Took you long enough—"

"Fucking hell!" She would have jumped, but her first instinct was to cover her mouth, "Where did you come from?"

He ignored her, leering into her with an ominous grin. "How are the clothes?"

She blinked, turning her head away. "They're fine."

"You're a proud bitch aren't you?"

She made no response other than to glare at him. He chuckled. "Well that's fine. How about a wager, Toy? If you win I'll make sure you have a pleasant stay at Castle Tsukinami."

"That's rather vague." She insisted.

He licked his lips, "Care to provide your own terms?"

For a moment she flinched. Because he was a sly bastard. And from the way his eyes flickered it was almost as though he could tell what she was thinking. "I want—" She stopped herself, wondering if anything would be worth it, if he was just going to kill her anyway. But the look on his face now was almost worse than before.

"Can't say it?" He smirked like he'd won.

Hell would freeze over before she showed that guy her shame. "I want clean underwear."

Shin cackled, completely satisfied, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her down the stairs. He didn't stop until he pushed two heavy looking doors into a ballroom-like space.

Swords hung from the far left wall, armor and chains from the opposite side.

Kiara blinked.

Oh.

 _That_ kind of duel.

Fuck she'd never held a sword in her life.

"Come on!" Shin grabbed a pair, tossing one to her, already taking his stance. She fumbled with the weapon, struggling to catch it, slicing the palm of her hand. She cursed, licking the wound, and then grabbed the sword with both hands. Shin shot her a strange look, but didn't allow himself to be swayed from what Kiara guessed was a very serious stance.

She knew she should be focusing, because this could very well cost her her life. But the only thought that seemed to cross her mind was that this thing was a lot heavier than she would have originally imagined—

The battle was over and done with in a grand total of seven seconds, Kiara managing to block his initial strike, but not fast enough for the second, the cold metal cutting right through the white of her shirt, straight through her stomach.

A choking gasp was pulled from her throat upon the impact, Shin looking down at her indignantly, pulling the sword out with ease and letting out a disgruntled _tch._

Kiara stared at the clean sword with wide eyes. Not silver.

_Why not silver?_

"You sure you're a Sampson?" He almost sounded disappointed.

"Barely." She spat rather nastily, "You _do_ realize I'm—"

He threw his sword on the ground like a forgotten child, calling her _boring as fuck._

She crossed her arms, dropping her own sword in the process, staring at him blankly and then sighing, unfolding her hands. "So what, then? If I'm no use to you then you might as well just let me go—"

"Ha! Like hell _that's_ gonna happen!"

Her hands balled up into fists. "I'm not going to be your—"

Shin waved his hand, shutting her up. "I think we can help each other."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I won't tell Carla about your blood," he said, as if he were doing her a favor, "So long as you just sit there and don't try to run. Chasing after you would be tiresome."

Kiara crinkled her features. "What's in it for you?"

He flashed a scary smile, "That's none of your business."

She crossed her arms again. "I still want clean underwear."

"You lost though," he pointed out.

"Well then I guess I'll go tell Carla I _don't_ have demon blood and he can kill both of us."

He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, baring his fangs, but Kiara grabbed his arm, biting into his wrist. Her eyes flashed, her heart racing. She hadn't intended to take blood; it had only been a drop, but it…this…

She pulled away immediately, swallowing thickly to shake away her shock, her face going hard.

"Heh. No comparison, is there?" His eyes glimmered again in that strange way, as though he'd won something.

"Like I said!" She wasn't sure why she was shouting suddenly, "Real underwear! And if you try to bite me again—"

He grabbed her hair this time, making it purposely painful, "That's _my_ line, Vampire."

She grimaced, pushing him away, dusting her clothes off. "Fine. Whatever. Just stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours."

Shin picked up both swords, twisting the one Kiara had used around in his hand, letting out a short chuckle. "That'd make things pretty fucking boring, don't you think Sampson?"

For a moment, she hesitated, recalling the way the sword had felt going through her stomach. But she cleared her throat, pushing the thought out of her mind. "I take it you don't like boredom." She looked him up and down.

His eyes sharpened, throwing the shorter sword into the wall. "I've had enough of it." He said seriously.

 _Courtesy of Karlheinz,_ Kiara thought.

But suddenly his demeanor changed completely, swaying his own sword around and laughing.

"Make yourself comfortable Sampson!" He said, outstretching his arms, making a show of himself, before pointing the sword directly at her nose, his voice dropping dangerously low. "You're gonna be here a while."


	8. Chapter 8

"You're cut—"

Edgar pushed him away, "It's fine—"

Koichi caught his hand, stopping him. "Please. My lord."

Edgar sighed, closing his eyes and dropping his hand. "No one is here. You can call me Edgar."

Koichi gave a weak smile. With an even weaker nod of his head, and cradling the prince's cheek in his palm, he licked the scratch.

It healed instantly.

"Ko-chan…"

"Better?"

"It didn't hurt very much to begin with."

Koichi smiled, seemingly satisfied.

"Do you think…" Edgar inhaled, and then exhaled slowly, "I mean, did you know?"

The guard seemed pained. "Not…exactly."

"But you had some sort of idea."

"I had many ideas."

"And you didn't tell me."

"My Lord—"

" _Shiroyama."_ And that seemed to be the end of it, because it was sharp and biting, and completely unlike the prince. Edgar sighed again. "Did Kiara know? Is that why she—"

"No. She didn't."

"So…" he exhaled shakily, "She'll die."

"I doubt the King would allow that."

"My father could bleed to death tomorrow—"

"My Lord—"

"Shiroyama!"

The young prince was shaking, hot tears in his eyes, hating the way his lover said _my lord._

Shiroyama couldn't bear to see it, couldn't bear to hear his last name from the prince's lips, so he embraced him with all his strength, reassuring him with a _it'll be all right._

But it _wouldn't_ be, Edgar knew. There was no way it _could._ Not with his mother and sister in the deepest part of the castle, surrounded by who knows how many familiars. Not with everything Reina had just explained, not with his Uncle giving him that look of _disdain,_ that quick glance that barely acknowledged him, with fleeting eyes that told Edgar _you're not worth my time._

'Eloise will take the throne.'

His uncle said it easily, as if it were a simple fact, as if it were something Edgar himself already knew, as if his uncle had said it countless times already and was bored of the phrase.

"This is not your fault." Koichi's voice cut through the silence, like a metronome that continued to play long after the piece had finished.

"I never said it was." Edgar's voice was hollow.

"But you were thinking it."

Edgar silently squeezed the swordsman, thanking him under his breath, finding comfort in his familiar scent. "Can I bite you?" He muttered shyly, somehow needing more comfort than just scent.

"You need not ask, my lord," he whispered, squeezing him back, "My everything belongs to you."

Yes. That was something Edgar knew well enough. But was it because he was the royal guard, or because they were truly in love?

"I think," he swallowed thickly, "I just need some time. To process all of this."

"I'm right here," Koichi said with an encouraging smile.

Edgar inhaled, cringing slightly. "I meant…alone…"

Shiroyama frowned. "I can't do that."

Clenching his jaw and chewing the inside of his cheeks, Edgar pulled anxiously at his fingers. "Shiroyama. This is a direct order from the prince."

The guard's eyes widened, before softening in a smile, "You truly are a cruel man," he said, pulling Edgar in by the chin and kissing his lips. Edgar kissed him back, or at least, he thought he did, moving his lips against Koichi's.

"Have a good night," Shiroyama pecked him again, "My lord."

Edgar swallowed, exhaling shakily, unable to look at Koichi as the guard he left the room.

…

The Tsukinami's had a big ass music room. With a grand piano to go with it. And if that's how it was then Kiara didn't mind staying. Even if it _did_ mean getting bitten by Shin Tsukinami. It was something she didn't understand. His use for her, that is. Because though she'd need his marks in her neck to prove to Carla she was being _purified,_ it didn't explain why Shin took blood regardless. Especially when he followed it up by practically spitting in her face, calling it 'disgusting.' He hadn't hit her again though. Which she was silently grateful for. Not that his initial use of violence had caused any real fear in her, the bruises stayed for a night a most, before disappearing entirely. Unless of course, that's what he'd intended.

But whatever the case, if she was going to be stuck here for an indefinite amount of time—until her father showed up at least, because Kiara was certain that man already had something in motion— then at least she could play the piano. It'd been far too long since her fingers had jumped along ivory keys. Which truly were _ivory_ in the case of the Tsukinamis.

Well, she thought, they _were_ Founders.

Melodies flowed from her fingers. It served as the only real distraction, and filled up the time. But it had only been two days. She wasn't sure how long that'd work for. She'd never exactly been one to stick with something for very long.

She hummed along to the music, silently thanking the powers that be she'd gotten underwear. Shin didn't seem too happy about it, so she assumed Carla had something to do with it. That guy gave off weird vibes. Shin was an asshole, sure, but Carla was something else. Dark. Very dark. Maybe that was because of the Endzeit though. It rotted you from the inside out. And for a moment, Kiara felt a twinge of sympathy.

But what could she do? That guy was shit out of luck. There wasn't a single cure in the demon or human world for Endzeit.

But that was another thing that didn't make sense. Shin seemed pretty whipped in that sense, classic second son syndrome, so shouldn't he have just gotten rid of Kiara on the spot and gone back to find Eloise?

Not that demon blood was a _cure,_ exactly. It was the same thing as purifying _,_ in theory, but Endzeit was fucking strong. The demon would have to be compatible with the receiver, or else the bloods would never mix, and the new blood would become infected as well. So even with Eloise, his chances were slim.

Kiara stopped playing, her fingers flat on the keys. Did Shin want Carla to die? His own brother?

Papa came to mind.

Well, that wasn't her problem anyway. She resumed her piece, fingers gliding over the keys. She didn't remember falling asleep, exactly, but she was pretty sure it'd happened on the piano bench. Which was why, when she shifted, feeling the pillow and mattress beneath her, she crinkled her features, before opening her eyes.

"You're real ugly when you sleep."

She groaned, wondering if any of this was real. "Says the guy with one eye." She spat.

He grinned, "You'd like to think that, wouldn't ya Toy?"

"What?" It was too early—or too late, she didn't know— to really understand anything. And waking up to Shin's stupid face was not on her list of top ways to start the day.

"Come on. I'm gonna train you."

She blinked. "Am I a dog?"

"Worse than that," he snapped, before clenching his jaw, as if he were holding himself back. "Imma teach you how to use a sword."

She sat up, thoroughly confused now, but also very much awake. "A sword? The fuck for?"

"You lost in two seconds. That's not a real victory."

"I'd say it's actually a very valid one—"

Shin looked like he was about to hit her, but instead he fell back on the bed, laughing with dark eyes. "I'll make you a Sampson," he said, "And then I'll kill you." He seemed to growl the last part. And part of her was sort of scared from the way he said it. But only a little.

"So you've got beef with the Sampson's huh?"

He smirked at her, cocking his head arrogantly, "Something like that."

She pursed her lips together. "I'm a Sakamaki though. The Sampson line ended with—"

"That's fine," he hummed, "I hate the Sakamakis too."

For the first time in a while, Kiara laughed, wondering if this guy was for real. "You gonna show me how to punch too?"

"The fuck?"

"Say we both lose our swords. It'll be a battle of fists then right?" She held up her fists, as if to prove a point.

"Don't be a fucking smartass, Toy. This is just to kill time."

She looked at him doubtfully, which she probably shouldn't have done, because he growled, which was a sure fire sign that she'd managed to piss him off.

He sat up, grabbing her by the front of her shirt in a motion that was too fast for her to stop. "I think it's time for your purifying."

She glared at him, "You fucking—"

He bit, high up on her neck, almost at her jaw, because it hurt more that way, and she cringed, stiffening under his fangs.

He took her blood.

"Ha," he spat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "Gross."

"The fuck are you drinking it for then?" She shouted, making to kick him. He caught her ankles though, pinning them to the bed. She didn't break her gaze, crossing her arms. But he just smirked, acting like she was one step behind.

"Cuz when I do," he leaned in close, _agitatingly close,_ showing off his fangs by running his tongue over them, "That snakeskin of yours heats up."

Kiara tensed for a moment, before scoffing, kicking him somewhat weakly— _weakly?—_ against his chest. But weirder than that was the fact that he'd loosened his grip enough to let her.

"As if." She held her chin up, chest swelling with a pride particular to vampires, "Our blood stays cold no matter what."

…

"Yuma?"

"Is it so surprising?" Reiji brewed more tea, something lively, with citrus, so that she could drink it as well.

"But…against a founder—"

"One needs only the will. And with a head as thick as his I doubt he'll encounter trouble."

"Reiji," She said his name quickly, spiked with anxiety, "To leave her fate in his hands...in someone who—"

"Do you doubt my decision?"

She swallowed thickly, her temple visibly pulsing. "I do."

Reiji smiled at that, reaching for a pair of teacups and setting them down on the table. "He is currently the most viable option."

"But he's so…" Reina hesitated, "Why not Shiroyama? Or Leon. They were close, and he served in the guard for—"

"Reina, if you please, remind me of your favorite book."

She sat shocked for a moment, before she looked away, unable to meet her husband's eyes. How foolish to feel embarrassed, after so many years.

"Pride and Prejudice." She said, though she knew he remembered perfectly.

"And that foolish man, Mr. Darcy, the reason by which he does all he does…" Reiji waved his hand, as if to say _get on with it._

Reina bit back a groan, conceding to her husband, "Because he loves Elizabeth." She sighed, shaking her head, "What do you attempt to do with this? What do you gain by once again attacking my preferences in literature at a time like…" her voice trailed off, Reiji watching her face, waiting silently for her to understand.

"Yuma…"

"Indeed."

She swallowed thickly. taking a deep breath. "For her sake," she said gravely, "I hope you're right."

Reiji smirked, pouring the tea. "Have I ever been wrong?

…

An apple bounced off Edgar's head, and he nearly flew off the roof, fluttering his arms and trying to catch the fruit, clutching it close to his chest.

"Yuma!" He exclaimed, cheeks flushed, "You frightened me!"

Yuma scoffed, yanking the apple from him and taking a bite, before offering it to him again. Edgar looked at it, taking the fruit between careful hands, smiling softly to himself. When he was younger, he'd always thought of that sort of thing as an indirect kiss. Not that he'd ever tell Yuma that.

"You and Kiki. Always coming up here when things got rough."

Edgar exhaled, taking in a solid breath for the first time in a while. "Habit, I suppose."

"How'd you get rid of your guard dog?"

Shaking his head, Edgar smirked, "I ordered him to leave me alone."

Yuma whistled, "Tough love."

Edgar scoffed softly. "I guess."

"When do you leave?" Edgar asked, rubbing his thumb over the apple.

"Morning." Yuma replied flatly.

Edgar nodded.

"I always thought it was weird, that you two were so close."

Edgar nodded, not looking at him, taking a bite of the apple. "She's a lot like father."

"That lazy guy?"

At this, Edgar did glance at him, seeing something unfamiliar in his eyes. He hesitated. "Reina…she'd tell me about when they were younger. He was always going off on his own, getting into trouble. Stole a dog once. Can you believe that?"

Yuma exhaled, staring hard into the garden below. "Yeah. Sure can."

Edgar looked at him curiously, seeing the muscles of the half-blood's arm tense, the wind tugging at their hair.

"I'm not totally in the dark," Yuma continued, very quietly. "I remember some things."

Edgar chewed his lip, not wanting to go down that road. Not tonight. "Kiara's lucky…" He tried, "That you're the one who's gonna…" His voice trailed off, not really knowing where he was going with that.

"Well," Yuma groaned, leaning back on his elbows, "It's like you said. She's like the king. All hot headed and shit. By the time I get there she'll have probably joined a resistance and teamed up with the Tsukinamis to overthrow our kingdom."

For the first time in a while, Edgar burst out in laughter, loud and honest. "I would try and refute it but," he laughed again, holding his stomach, dropping the apple, "That sounds so incredibly plausible I…" He didn't know when the tears had started. He just knew that he couldn't get them to stop.

"Yuma," he hiccuped, "She'll be ok, won't she?"

Yuma pulled him in, patting the top of his head. "You always worried too much for your own good, you know that kid?"

"I'm sorry," Edgar blubbered, clutching at the front of Yuma's shirt, shaking like a child, "I'm just so—"

"Oy, come on," Yuma pried him off, wiping away the tears with calloused fingers, "Gonna fuck up that pretty face of yours."

Edgar laughed sadly again, wiping his face with his sleeve, "You were always so crude."

"Well," Yuma said, for one reason or another starting to think that those eyes looked a lot like Shu's. "I _am_ just a gardener."

The prince scoffed, pushing against the large man's shoulder. Yuma was a gardener. Had been a gardener before the attack, and would continue to be one afterwards. Would be perpetually crude, cursing until the end of time. Solid and constant, the way he'd always been.

And for whatever reason, it was reassuring.

"Mm," Edgar said, looking down into the garden, wind tugging at his nearly-white bangs, before he turned to the gardener once more. "That you are."


	9. Chapter 9

Every day, she had her clothing laid out for her. Generally much of the same: a shirt, some pants and boots. Always boots. Apparently they helped her stance while dueling or something. Honestly, she didn't understand it. But whatever. Learning how to use a sword was pretty cool.

Today though, there was none of that. Today was a dress.

She put it on, though, because _like hell_ she was gonna confront him naked.

God why were dresses so _heavy?_

It was black, much like the one she'd first arrived in, but this one was much more girly. Ruffles, with sleeves that went up to her elbows, a skirt twice the size of what she was used to, a square neckline, much like the ones Auntie Yui wore on special occasions, and a blinding red pattern that began at the hem, fading as it worked it's way up the skirt.

All in all she thought it was ugly.

And the _heels._ She was going to kill him. Did he expect her to train in this?

"Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?" She hollered once she'd gotten to their practice room, entering to hear the swinging of swords and the echo of Shin's heels.

He paused upon hearing her voice, and then cackled when he finally caught sight of her. "Suits you, Toy."

"It _suits_ me? This thing is the definition of _fugly._ "

"Oh good," he said, swinging his sword and stabbing it into one of the targets, "You caught the reference."

"You asshole—"

He swung his sword out, pointing it at her. "Careful, Toy. This one's real silver."

She clenched her jaw. "You finally gonna kill me?"

He hummed at that. "Just being prepared. It's a full moon tonight."

Her eyes widened, realizing it for her own. "It is!"

"No funny business, Toy."

"I want to fly." She declared boldly, hardly taking his threat into consideration.

He smirked, "And what gives you the right to start making demands?"

She clenched her teeth, her hands forming fists, "I won't leave." She bargained.

Shin dropped his sword, cackling. "You expect me to believe that?"

"You're a founder," she reasoned, "You could follow me in—"

"The only form I change into," he bit coldly, "Is a wolf."

She rolled her eyes, "Follow me as a wolf then."

He glared at her. Now it was her turn to smirk. "What? Think you can't keep up?"

In a moment the sword was in his hand, the blade slicing right at the edge of her cheek. It was just as he said.

Silver.

She bit her tongue. But she refused to let him see her react. So she just let the blood run down her cheek. It was a small sting. She'd certainly had worse.

"Toy." He barked her new name with a smirk, swinging his sword around the closer he got to her. She didn't move. Didn't dare flinch in front of him. Like hell she'd give him the satisfaction.

"You're bleeding." He said smartly.

"I'm aware." She replied flatly.

"You mess up that dress, Carla won't be happy."

"That's a shame." She said with pursed lips.

He tugged at the front of her dress, pulling her forward, Kiara baring her fangs at the fact that his fingers were in her _cleavage_ —

That warm tongue grazed her cheek, licking the stray droplet of blood, Shin breathing right in her ear.

For a moment she forgot to breathe, the fact that his blood was warm still a sort of a shock, more so than the fact that his tongue was on her _face—_

"You should thank me properly, don't you think?"

His voice snapped her back to the present. So she slapped him, her nails claiming some skin, his glasses held in place only because of the patch he wore.

"This some kink of yours?" She spat, "Dress me up in Carla's favorite outfit and then slash me with a sword?"

He cackled, putting his hand over his face and shaking his head. "You're interesting, Kiara Sakamaki."

For a moment, it felt surreal. Because up until now, he hadn't called her by her name at all. And it was sort of weird, the fact that part of her almost preferred—

"Now let's go! If you win I'll let you fly."

He took his stance, pointing his sword at her.

Out of instinct, she reached for the sword she'd been practicing with, and even took her own stance, before coming to her senses. "Wait, you actually expect me to—"

He swung at her, and she blocked it, taking a side step as the metal of the swords scraped upwards.

"Focus!"

"I'm in heels you asshole!"

"If you can't do that much," he lunged again, Kiara missing the strike by nothing shorter than a moment, "Then you're not a real Sampson."

Kiara was going to tell him that she _wasn't,_ that she was a _Sakamaki,_ but decided against it. Because really.

What was the point anymore?

…

Yuma had felt the presence for quite some time now. But he'd assumed at one point or another, they'd just give up and go home. That or Koichi would come pick him up. But the shadow stayed, now matter how far Yuma got from the castle. And he sighed, starting to get irked, because the sun would be going down soon. And there was no way that kid was gonna survive the night on his own.

So the half-blood went up ahead, hiding behind a tree, to confront the Young Prince once he'd finally caught up.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

Edgar _screeched,_ jumping up, turning to see Yuma and then brushing himself off. "Ahh, Yuma," he chuckled, "You frightened me—"

"What're you doing here?"

"I was…walking…"

"Cut the crap, Edgar. Where's Shiroyama?"

"You don't have to worry about him—"

"Did you tell anyone you were leaving?"

"Well not…exactly…"

"I'm taking you back—"

"No!" Edgar lunged for him, grabbing his arm, "You can't!"

"That guy'll have my head—"

"It's my right! Kiki's in danger. She's—"

"She's not your problem—"

"She's my cousin—"

Yuma sighed. "Look. You gotta be with the other royals right now. There could be another attack—"

"If that's so then I'm much safer with you."

Yuma said nothing, and Edgar smiled, proud of himself. "So if you don't mind, I'll be joining you—"

"I do mind, actually. The hell you think the King's gonna do when the heir is—"

"I'm not the heir anymore." Edgar said coldly; unmoving.

Yuma blinked, crossing his arms. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Edgar shrugged, walking on ahead and trying to act careless. "Father chose Eloise over me."

"He can't just do that, you're—"

"He can, actually." Edgar said it as though he had been expecting it all along, "Her blood is stronger. She's a demon, so. The throne is rightfully hers."

"What the hell? But aren't you—"

It was a shrill scream, one that exaggerated the length of his fall, but it sent Yuma into a short panic nonetheless, tumbling after the young prince to make sure he was ok.

"Would you watch where you're going at least? It's enough I've gotta worry about Kiara—"

Edgar pushed him away, dusting himself off, "I'm _fine."_

"You're not," Yuma countered, "You're all scratched up—" He sighed, rubbing his face with his hand, as if he were trying to figure something out.

"Well a few cuts never killed anyone. You can stand can't you? Time to toughen you up."

Edgar's pink eyes lit up. It had been so long, so so _long_ that he'd almost forgotten what it was like to _not_ be fawned over. And for a moment he felt like hugging Yuma, for not offering to clean up his wounds.

"So you'll let me stay?" The excitement that leaked from his tumbled words was embarrassing despite himself.

"More like I'm ignoring the fact that you chose to follow."

"I won't be any trouble!"

"Doubt that."

He wouldn't. He'd prove to him that he wouldn't. That he could be useful. And maybe…that way…

"Y-Yuma!" He said quickly, almost shyly, bowing his head a bit, "I'm…doing this…for Kiara."

Yuma raised an eyebrow at him, cocking his head to the side and then sighing again, reaching over to ruffle Edgar's blonde hair.

"Yeah. That makes two of us, kid."

…

"What you're doing is wrong."

"It's my decision."

"Shu—"

_"Reiji."_

"He's the rightful heir."

"She's stronger than him."

"She has not been conditioned—"

"She'll manage."

Reiji's lips flattened into a thin line. "What will you do if he kills you?"

Shu's eyes sharpened. "That is not within Edgar's capabilities."

"But it's within Eloise's?"

Shu lifted his head in arrogant fashion, but Reiji was still taller. "If the time comes—"

"She was not raised to rule a kingdom. She will prove to be as useless as her mother."

"If you speak ill of my wife—"

"And what sort of wife has she been, brother? How many years has it been, and she still does not understand our customs—"

"It's been—"

"She doesn't understand our language. Of what use is she?"

"Her _use—_ "

"Oh, don't tell me something as childish as you love her. That's more of an excuse than a reason—"

"And your reason? Tell me Reiji. After all this time, can you still not tell your wife you love her?"

"Reina is not a lowly human that needs to be _coddled—_ "

"Yui is no longer human! And even if she were—!" Shu barked sharply, those blue eyes set ablaze, before he inhaled, raising his fingers to his temple. "Reina, Yui. They are beside the matter at hand. Our main concern now is Eloise."

Reiji was silent, thinking that _his_ only concern was Kiara.

For a moment Shu thought Reiji might leave without another word. But then Reiji adjusted his glasses, sighing with signature disappointment. "It will be as you say. Just as it has always been. And I will attempt to clean up your mess. Just as I always have."

"If only condescension were punishable by death." Shu smirked.

Reiji smiled pleasantly at that. "You would have been dead long ago, my lord." He bowed with the expected respect, excusing himself from the room.

"Reiji." Shu called, just before he'd shut the door.

"What is it."

"I can't help but wonder what might happen if Reina _did_ need consolation. Could someone like you truly support her?"

Reiji's eyes flashed red, but he said nothing, closing the door with the utmost politeness, setting down the hall with fangs slightly bared.

He'd only…ever seen it twice. The first was long ago, on a night he'd rather forget, when she could no longer be called a child.

The second had only been just now, after losing Kiara.

And in both, he had been completely, and utterly…

Useless.

"Reiji!"

For a moment he thought he was hearing things. He stopped, allowing his wife to fall into step with him.

"Shiroyama…he's been reappointed to protect Eloise."

"I can't imagine he went quietly." He replied cooly.

"No…" Reina said, almost absent-mindedly, before reaching out for her husband's arm, halting their steps. "He can't," her voice was rushed, "If he appoints Eloise, then surely he'll—"

"You know how stubborn that man can be—"

"Enough to put my daughter at risk?"

Reiji glanced at her, "So she's _your_ daughter now?"

"Reiji." She snapped, shaking her head. "Shu doesn't understand—"

"He does not believe her to be in any real danger."

"Then he's a fool." Reina bit coldly.

"My my," he smirked, "What a low opinion of—"

"Don't."

Reiji swallowed, before his lips sunk in a scowl, "If you do not trust the methods I've put in place—"

"What methods? You've sent a _gardener_ to save our daughter. She's as good as dead. Why…" her voice trailed off, and Reiji felt himself stiffen upon seeing the tears that lined her eyes, "Why are you not more concerned?"

"We cannot all afford to be hysterical—"

"Don't do that." She said calmly, shaking her head as though she were scolding him, the tears making him anxious because they seemed right at the point of falling—

"Don't say that as if you're accusing me of being in hysterics. I've calmed the Queen down. I took care of _his_ children. But I'm worried about _my_ child."

"Then I would appreciate if you did not accuse _me_ of apathy—"

"It's not an accusation!" She almost yelled, but quickly regained her composure, "You're so calm. If there is some sort of assurance then I need you to tell me. I…Kiara…"

"I have no assurance other than the trust that we have raised our daughter accordingly."

"What use is a royal upbringing if you're being tortured—"

"Carla is far more level headed than that."

"Desperation changes people," she closed her eyes, turning so that she would no longer have to look at him, "Surely you realize that."

Reiji swallowed thickly again, inhaling deeply. "She will come back to us."

It took a long time for her to reply, though she had not chosen to walk away. "I hope you're right." Her voice shook, and he knew that the tears had probably managed to slip from her eyes, because now she was out of his reach, stepping down the hall. And even though she did not say it, he heard it perfectly well.

_Or I'll never forgive you._


	10. Chapter 10

"I know there's something more you're not telling me. Kiara, she—"

His exhaustion was not enough to hide the tension. "It doesn't concern you. Yui. Please—"

"I'm not as naive as you want me to be, Shu. Can't you trust me? You even chose Reiji over—"

"It's not about trust! Sometimes things need to be kept between two people and two people alone—"

"To the point where you'll lie to your wife?"

"If it must be so then yes."

She shook her head. "You say you don't want to be like him. But sometimes I wonder if you're more like your father than you realize."

He tensed, feeling his anger begin to overturn his tiredness. "You don't know anything about my father. Don't talk like you know what he did—"

"I know enough." She spit it out with uncharacteristic coldness, which was enough for him to snap, grabbing her with his good arm, pulling her to him with his fangs bared.

She stood unfazed, the eyes that scanned his face shining with tears, pink lips pulled flat into a thin line. "Will you bite me? Like you did back then?"

He clenched his jaw, squeezing his grip before he let her go, bringing his hand up to rub his face. He exhaled shakily, shaking his head.

"Sit down." He ordered. "This will take a bit to explain."

…

"Oh." Reina cleared her throat upon entering her room. "I didn't think you'd be here."

Reiji closed his book, putting it back on the shelf, "I was searching for something." He said easily.

She cocked her head. "It's not like you to forget a title."

"Indeed," he breathed, "It's not."

Reina swallowed uncomfortably, inhaling deeply. "Well. In any case I have something you might need to hear."

"As do I," Reiji said, reaching for another book, and flipping it over in his hands. "I believe I owe you an explanation."

Reina's eyes widened, excited breaths filling her breast, "I had assumed as much."

"You're aware of Shu's obsession to outdo our father, yes?" He said flippantly, scanning the pages of his book.

Reina chewed the inside of her lips, "He's trying his best. I don't think wanting to be better than Karlheinz is such a bad thing—"

"It's irrelevant, in any case. Always wanting to right the wrongs of another person. Rather than a waste of time it only creates more problems—"

"Reiji."

He exhaled. "He wanted to send a formal apology to the Tsukinamis, to make amends, you understand. An appeasement of sorts between our two kingdoms."

"I don't see much wrong with that." Reina commented quietly. Reiji nodded. "An offer was put in place."

Reina sat on the bed, staring at him intently. "…What sort of offer?"

"In exchange for their cooperation in the ruling of the demon world, we would provide them with information collected on Endzeit."

Reina lowered her gaze. "I take it that didn't go very well."

"He was insulted naturally. To assume so boldly that a Founder would simply—"

"But surely he was expecting such a result! For Shu to—"

"Mattaku. Are you still surprised at his arrogance?"

Reina bit her tongue. "When was this?"

"Long before the children were born."

Reina sat quietly, thoughts whirring in her head as she tried to piece the information together. "Then?" She asked, "What did he do?"

"As you can imagine it did not go smoothly," Reiji pushed up his glasses, "Rather than a treaty we were met with a declaration of war. I assumed as much would happen. But Shu didn't feel the need to take precautions. Thus it stood to reason I should take a few of my own."

Reina stiffened, "Reiji, please, just tell me already."

Reiji sat down by her, offering her the book. "It's no secret that demon blood will cure any ailment, with the proper sort of purification. I am almost certain the Tsukinamis hold that very copy in their own library."

Reina nodded, motioning for him to go on. Reiji adjusted his glasses once more. "However with the lack of a demon, options are limited. There are ways to contain Endzeit of course, to lessen the pain, without use of the supernatural. But they were jailed for so long they're inevitably ignorant to these methods, so Carla is forced to lessen his burden with magic. Naturally that sort of thing is only as powerful as his current condition. I can only assume that he has indeed reached the point of desperation where he can no longer endure it."

Reiji watched his wife's eyes fill up with tears, which she did not bother to stop, a small hiccup parting her lips while she sniffled, quickly wiping them away. "That's why you…"

"With Kiara's current knowledge she'll successfully be able to buy herself some time, even if they do discover that she is not Eloise. Though it's unlikely that they'll remain ignorant for much longer."

"But then," Reina said, regaining her composure, "Why Yuma?"

"I have no doubt he will do something brash." Reiji said calmly.

Her eyes widened with irritation, "That'll only—"

"He will draw attention upon himself. And Kiara will use the distraction to escape."

Reina shook her head, "She won't leave him behind."

"She does not return his feelings." Reiji said easily, "It should not—"

"However true that might be," Reina insisted, "She wouldn't leave him."

Reiji's expression flattened. "It is in her best interest that she does."

Reina exhaled, a small, sad sort of smile tugging at the edge of her lips, before she placed a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Yes, darling."

"However?" Reiji finished for her, hearing it's silent echo at the end of her sentence.

Reina glanced at him, "I suppose it's my turn give you information."

"What is it?" Reiji said with narrowed eyes.

"You forgot one simple factor."

Reiji smirked, somewhat amused, convinced that anything his wife said he'd be able to counter. "And that might be?"

"Edgar." Reina said simply, watching her husband's face pale as she said so. "He's gone."

…

"Yuma!" Edgar panted, "You're going too! Too fast!"

"Deal with it," he grunted, "If you can't hold out this much then you're not a man."

"But I—"

Yuma stopped abruptly, turning around so sharply that Edgar ran right into him, slamming his nose against the half-blood's chest.

"Ow—"

"If we go any slower who knows what'll happen. We gotta get there, get Kiara, and get the fuck back because you know what's gonna happen next, kid? War. This ain't a fucking game."

Edgar rubbed his nose, somewhat frustrated at the fact that after all these years Yuma was still calling him a _kid,_ "I'm sure we'll be able to reach some sort of amicable—"

"You're too fucking naive."

"Things can be solved diplomatically!" Edgar snapped, "Not everything is guns and fists the way you want!"

"It's not what I _want_ I'm just being realistic. Your ideal—"

"It's not an ideal. It's perfectly reasonable—"

"Kiara's probably in a fucking dungeon right now and you're seriously gonna say that?"

"It's not—"

"Fuck I'm glad you're not King."

Edgar stopped. Bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from doing something he might regret later. Because as much as he...Yuma just never seemed to... "Well maybe—maybe I never wanted to _be_ King! Did you think of that you big, stupid—"

"Watch your mouth—"

"No! I won't! You're always making fun of me!"

"Alright calm down," Yuma groaned, "Don't start crying on me."

"I'm not crying! I know I'm not what you think a man should be but I have my pride you know! And you not thinking of me as a man doesn't make me any less—"

"Alright alright I get it! Just shut up!" Yuma roared, grabbing Edgar by the collar, and dragging him behind him to speed the young prince up.

The inside of Yuma's head was screaming. It always did, whenever he was near Edgar. At least, ever since his memories had begun to come back. Only, this was worse. Because taking care of a spoiled royal in the middle of the woods, this weird feeling tightening in his chest…

It was something he would have preferred to forget.

…

"That's so romantic!"

"You can't tell anyone," he said gravely, "But I knew you'd understand."

"No of course not!" Eloise said eagerly, "I have no prejudice for these things."

"I knew you wouldn't." Shiroyama smiled tenderly at her. "But this is why—"

"Go to him," she said, taking his hands in hers, "Whenever you need. I won't be the one to come between you."

"I am forever indebted to you, my lady."

She giggled, shaking her head and squeezing his hands, "Eloise works just fine."

"I'm afraid I must take advantage of your kindness once more."

"Say the word and it's yours!" Eloise giggled, "I'm the Queen-to-be, after all. Anything I can do for you and Edgar will be with the utmost pleasure, you can be sure of that."

Koichi kissed he hands humbly, before looking at her with sharp green eyes. "That's just it," he began tragically, "Edgar. He's left."

Eloise's eyes widened, "Left? Left where?"

"I can always sense him," he explained in a bit of a panic, "But I know for sure he's no longer in the castle. My only guess is that—"

Eloise gasped, putting her hand over her mouth, "Oh no. Kiara."

Koichi nodded once, not once breaking his gaze from Eloise's. "Kiara."

"We'll go after them!"

"No," Koichi shook his head, "I could never ask that of you. I simply and humbly beg for your forgiveness, because I must assure his safety."

Eloise waved her hand at him, "Don't be so dramatic. If it's for my brother, then you have to go. And I want to too."

"My lady, it could be dangerous."

"Hey," she smiled, "Those two aren't the only ones with a few tricks up their sleeves. I know this castle like the back of my hand."

Shiroyama smiled with eyes that shined like stolen emeralds, ceding to the princess's wishes. "Then, my lady," he bowed humbly, offering her his submission, "Shall we prepare for our journey?"

…

She had lost.

Which should've been a given. It was the heels that did it though, breaking at the last second like that. Part of her wondered if maybe he'd done something to them before their duel, which was just about as likely as it was _un_ likely.

In any case, if she wanted to fly, it meant licking his boots.

Which she sure as hell was _not_ going to do.

"Go on. Stick out your tongue."

"Fuck you."

He smirked triumphantly. "Not without foreplay."

For a moment, Kiara laughed at that, but then quickly stopped herself, only further enraged by the fact that she'd let her guard down. But, there was certainly room for bargaining here. Because something told her he wanted to be outside just as much as she did.

Just as she was about to say something though, he caught her cheeks in an iron grip, pressing them together tightly. "Come on, stick out your tongue."

"Du fufck—"

" _Aaaaaah,"_ He opened his own mouth, as if to show her, "Hurry up, Toy. This is getting boring."

She bit his hand, which he quickly pulled away, with a chuckle of his own. "Trying to take my blood? That's cheating you know~"

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Like I need to be stronger—" Kiara stopped herself, her eyes widening with an idea. He'd do anything to show off how _superior_ he was. "Hey," she said casually, "What if we race?"

Shin scoffed, "Race?"

"First one to the lake. If I win I get to fly."

He smirked, licking his lips, "What's in it for me?"

She hesitated, not having thought that far ahead. But with a quick look at his eyes she already knew what he was expecting her to say. Clearing her throat, she glanced in the opposite direction, not really wanting to see his face. "If you win…I guess…I'll lick..." Her features cringed up all on their own, "I'll lick your fucking boots."

"Now we have a game!" He cackled excitedly, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her towards the door.

"Wait, not in this dress—"

"Ha! You can't just start making up rules now, Toy!"

With a sudden panic, she struggled to kick off her shoes, because running with a broken heel would _not_ be conducive to winning—

He threw her onto the rubble, and by the time she got up, she realized she was looking at a wolf.

Her eyes filled in outrage, "You can't—"

"You never said I couldn't," she swore he was smirking at her, running his tongue over his fangs, "A wolf versus a vampire. Won't that be interesting?"

She glared at him, putting one foot behind her so that she could push off properly. "Fine," she spat confidently, hiking up her skirt, "You'll lose either way."

He pawed at the ground with serious excitement. "On three."

But they both took off right then, Kiara calling him a cheating bastard and Shin shouting at her to tell that to the fucking mirror.

She didn't think much on that, though. Because it felt so damn good to move like this again. The crisp air in her face, her hair whipping behind her, the sting of her throat against the speed. She was behind him, but right now that didn't matter. She'd beat him in the end. For now it just felt amazing to feel the dirt between her toes.

Although, with him in front of her…it was something to see. _Graceful,_ almost, though Kiara would never call it that, the way he glided through the woods, dodging all obstacles and doing it so quickly, with so much precision that there was hardly a print left on the ground.

In fact, it almost looked like he was flying.

And so Kiara thought it wouldn't do any harm, if her feet happened to just barely graze the ground as well.

Which would have been _fine,_ except that he stopped abruptly. So much so that she didn't see it coming, and by the time she did—

"Shin—!"

She ran right into him in the most literal of ways, the two of them tumbling and rolling down the large hill that encompasses the lake.

"Cheating bitch!"

"You're one—" They bumped against the ground, "To—talk!"

They struggled against each other as they went down, grass and leaves catching in their hair, scratches marking their bodies. Shin's pained grunts in her ear and her own pained squeals heightening with each time they turned over.

When they finally tumbled down to the bottom they were separated, Shin flying in one direction and Kiara bundling down so far that the edge of her skirt sank into the lake water.

For a moment she stood perfectly still, having the wind knocked out of her and breathing heavily all at the same time; staring up at the dizzying night sky, wondering if all of that had actually really happened.

And she laughed, covering her eyes with her arm because the stars made her feel like the world was still spinning, or maybe it was just the twirling of her stomach, she didn't know. "That was fucking ridiculous." She said out loud, gasping for breath.

"You're fault...for fucking…flying…" Shin panting, trying to catch his own breath, chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Your fault for turning into a wolf all of a sudden." She exhaled, before inhaling sharply and then laughing again, shaking her head. "Fuck."

She let her arm drop, but kept her eyes closed, thinking the water felt sort of nice around her legs right now. And she wondered what Shin might say if she suggested they go swimming. Although that wet dog smell must be absolutely _killer_ so she figured it'd be best if she kept her mouth—

The sudden heat was overwhelming. For a moment she thought he'd climbed on top of her to bite her. But his breath wasn't on her neck, which she found strange. In fact, it was just...

_Warm._

That was all she could think. That this was beautifully, wonderfully, _deliciously_ warm. And so she pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, digging her fingers into his soft curls. And she laughed some more, though it was muffled by his own lips, and Kiara thought she had to be _drunk_ , because this was addicting. This growing heat that could come only from a wolf.

Shin pulled away with a disdained _tch,_ glaring down at her. "Cold ass vampire."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well what'd you expect."

He licked his lips in reply, a smirk lining his own lips. "Not fucking much."

She bit her lip to hold back her smile, resulting in another half-smirk. "I won, you know," she informed him, tugging at his hair, "My legs touched the lake first."

His fangs grazed her neck, his voice in her ear deeper than she'd ever heard it, "I'm giving you your prize, Toy. Make sure to thank me properly."

"Wasn't the deal that you'd let me fly?" She sassed, expecting him to return it.

Only, he looked at her with such a serious expression, that part of her almost flinched, like prey beneath a wolf's gaze. His lips broke into the grin she was familiar with, his fangs bared and ready.

"Let's see if you know how to beg for mercy."


	11. Chapter 11

Shin sat up, more sore than he thought he'd be, his bad eye screaming from having worn the patch all night. He cringed, both from the throbbing pain and from the way Kiara's snoring upset the quiet of the room. He groaned, swinging his legs over the bed to get up. But rather than the carpet, his feet met soft, cushy fabric.

Right. The dress.

If it could even be _called_ that anymore. He'd ripped it to literal shreds.

Not like it mattered. The thing really was fucking ugly.

He yawned in annoyance, pulling at his patch and rubbing his eye, the world still blurry regardless, so he reached for his glasses before heading into the bathroom.

He preferred his showers to be scorching. But when he stepped in, his back stung.

Ha. No. That was impossible. He was just imagining things.

But the water continued to burn his skin, the sharp stings shooting up his spine and all the way down to his toes.

He rinsed himself off in a mad rush, jumping out of the shower to look at himself in the mirror. With hands shaking from irritation, he put his glasses on to see the damage.

Fuck.

Fucking _bitch._

He wasn't used to this. To being marked. Her scratches down his back and her bite on his neck. Did she knew who he _was?_ The last time he'd ever let anyone do that had been…

…Had he _ever_ let anyone mark him?

He growled at himself, blaming the full moon for making him particularly weak to his own lust.

Well, that was fine. And if nothing else, she was a good fuck. Looking like a slut, scratching at the sheets with her back all arched, ass up in the air, just how he liked 'em.

And it would've been _great_ , if she weren't so fucking…

_"You think I'll come just cuz you tell me too?"_

Tch.

He knocked the soap bottle off the counter, mostly because it was the only thing _on_ the counter and therefore the only thing he could take his frustration out on.

And that bitch had had the nerve to _laugh_ too.

Where the hell did she get that from?

Well. She _was_ a Sampson. _And_ a Sakamaki. _That_ guy's daughter no less. Fucking entitled pieces of shit, all of them.

But, competitive sex? He nearly scoffed. So typical. Fucking vampire that she was. It only made him want to do it again. Put that bitch in her place.

Right beneath him.

He grabbed for the towel, roughly drying himself off, before wrapping it around his waist.

Fuck, his bad eye was still throbbing. Usually it would've died down by now. He clenched his teeth, starting to get pissed. And he hadn't brought the goddamn patch into the bathroom.

He gripped at the sink, staring at himself. He couldn't even remember what he used to look like. Even less behind the ugly red of his puffed up skin, swollen and irritated.

"Fuck you, Sampson."

…

Kiara squeezed her hands shut before stretching out her fingers, and then giving a low groan, stretching out her legs. It was disgustingly sunny. She could barely see. And this _scent_ —-

Oh, fuck.

She groaned again, rolling over onto her back. Her legs throbbed.

_Goddamn._

That felt…good. She licked her dry lips, running her tongue over them to heal Shin's bites.

She'd done it now.

Rolling back onto her stomach, and resting her head on her arms, she sighed. Bastard was good in bed.

Talked a bit too much, sure.

But was damn good.

The memories came in flashes. The sight of his fangs. The fact that she didn't stop him from biting her. The fact that she bit him back. How _warm_ his hands were, that delicious _heat_ between her legs.

No, no no, she was _not_ blushing.

Fucking Founder.

She groaned. The shower was going. Should she leave? Maybe. But that required getting up. And she couldn't gather the energy to give a fuck about any of that right now. Gods, everything was sore in the best way.

_Why…_

She groaned again, mostly because she could, taking a look around the room though she didn't exactly move. It was relatively plain. For a moment she wondered if this was actually his room, or if maybe they'd just stumbled into the first room the castle had to offer.

Actually, that was more plausible.

His eyepatch was on the nightstand. That was awkward. He'd have to come out of the bathroom soon enough. Was she supposed to pretend to be asleep? Did he care if she saw him without it?

Did _she_ care if he cared?

Gods what had she gotten herself into? He was Shin Tsukinami. Shin _Tsukinami._

Well, it was a full moon. She had a habit of doing stupid things on full moons. So that was fine. The problem was she wouldn't exactly complain if it happened again…

The door clicked open, and Kiara froze, keeping her head buried in her arms. He shuffled around, gathering his clothes, she thought, and when he called out to her, she jerked.

"Oi, get the fuck out of my bed."

So it _was_ his room?

She peeked out from under her arms. He'd put the patch back on. Somehow that allowed her to relax. "What," she scoffed, "No breakfast in bed?"

He lifted the mattress up, and she tumbled to the ground, the sheets tangling between her legs. "Ow, you fucker—"

"You gotta learn how to start taking orders, Sampson."

She pursed her lips, taking one of the pillows and making herself comfortable on the floor. "Not from you, Tsukinami."

He walked around, stepping on her chest, cutting off her air. She glared at him. "Excuse me, but kindly get the _fuck_ off."

"Lick my feet," he grinned, "And maybe."

She rolled her eyes. "God what is it with you and…" she winced, trying to see if what she was seeing was actually correct, or just from the way the sun was entering the room. "Is your eye ok?"

"What—"

She pushed his leg off, standing up, the sheets dropping to her feet.

"Oi, at least have some fucking shame—"

She reached up to press around his eyebrow, to which Shin immediately slapped her hand away.

"The fuck do you think you are—"

"It's swollen. You need to put something on it."

"Heh. Don't tell me you're worried about me now _—_ "

She pushed him away. "We fucked. Nothing more."

"Like I need you to tell me that." He grabbed her wrists, backing her into the bed, until her knees buckled and her back met the mattress.

Right. They were both still naked. Well, Shin had a towel but…

"You know, Toy. It really does hurt. You should make me feel better."

Kiara brought her hands up, nails brushing right over his cheeks, "C'mere." She murmured.

Shin seemed satisfied enough with that, because he leaned down, loosening his grip, but the moment he did Kiara lifted her legs, kicking him flat on the chest.

He growled, falling onto the sheets, and he was about to jump her, but Kiara kicked him again, making her way to the bathroom. She could hear him ruffling around, about to get up.

"Only a coward attacks his enemy from behind." She said flatly, wrapping her hair around itself into a makeshift bun. "I'm gonna shower real quick and then I'll make the remedy."

"The hell do you think you're doing?" He shouted, right in her face, gripping her by the neck, "We fucked once, Toy, don't think you own this place."

Kiara deadpanned, gripping his wrist and shaking him off. "You're ugly enough without that mess of red swollen shit all over your face. It's a simple remedy. I just need the stove."

Shin let her go with suspicion. "Vampires can't use magic."

"It's not magic you dumbass," she bit back, "It's medicine." With that she walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Gods he was an incompetent idiot, letting his eye get that bad.

She had no sooner but stepped inside the shower, that the bathroom door swung open, Shin pulling up a chair, sitting with his arms crossed.

He'd gotten dressed. She glared at him through the glass doors.

"Don't stop on my account." He smirked.

"Didn't get enough last night or what." She said, tossing her head back to wet her hair.

"I don't trust you, Sampson."

"Oh yes," she began washing her hair, "My most evil of plans always occur in the shower."

"Don't get fucking cocky."

She groaned, ignoring him, scrubbing her scalp as if she might somehow be able to wash _him_ away too.

"I don't need your fucking help." He said finally.

Is _that_ what it was? She rinsed her hair, finding this all rather irritating. "Don't take it, then."

She heard him click his tongue, but ignored that too, turning around to wash her body.

She began with her arms, the loofah scrubbing her skin, Kiara taking extra care to scrub over his bites.

But suddenly she was pressed against the wall of the shower, the tile on her breasts almost colder than her own skin, Shin's soaked shirt against her back—

"You piss me off."

"The feeling's mutual, trust me—"

"What if I fucked you like this. Made you suck me off."

"That'd be rape." She said flatly.

"Maybe that's how much I hate you."

Kiara didn't budge. "Even _you're_ above something like that." She said evenly.

He twisted her around, so that her back was now against the tile, her eyes facing his.

"Take it off." He said with bared fangs.

"I'm not _wearing_ anything—"

"My eyepatch. Take it off."

Kiara's eyes widened slightly, not exactly shocked but not _not_ shocked, reaching up around his head to untie the string. The water was running over his face, soaking his clothes, and yet he didn't seem to care, staring at her with a sharp, golden gaze.

It was…almost…

The patch came off, and she let it fall to the shower floor. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it wasn't unfixable. Hesitantly, she reached up, lightly pressing the enflamed skin. Shin flinched.

"Well?" He spat.

"It's treatable."

He didn't break his gaze from her.

"It hurts," she breathed, "Doesn't it?"

"You said it wasn't serious." He snarled.

"That doesn't mean it isn't bothering you." She argued.

"Tch."

Kiara crinkled her features. "Your eye…" she began, "Did it…I mean, it was silver, wasn't it?"

He grinned. "Pure silver."

Kiara swallowed. That must have hurt like a bitch.

"I'm actually surprised the skin is in such good conditon. Minus the swelling of course," she didn't even realize she was touching his face, "You probably have Carla to thank for that. He must have done something immediately after your being wounded."

Shin looked at her with an expression she didn't quite recognize. Kiara cleared her throat. "In any case, you can wait for the swelling to go down, but you shouldn't wear the patch. The skin around your eyes is pretty sensitive, so it's pretty quick to put up defenses. Or I could fix up the remedy real quick. It's a simple cream—"

"You sure do talk a lot, Sampson."

Kiara pursed her lips. "I don't wanna hear that from you. Fucking radio talkshow host in bed."

"I didn't hear you fucking complaining." He grinned, inching closer.

She pressed her finger into his eye.

He screamed in pain, letting her go and calling her a bitch.

"Calm down," she stepped back under the water, rinsing herself off, "You won't die."

He grabbed her from behind, Kiara suddenly enveloped in warmth, Shin sinking his fangs into her shoulder.

She cried out, her body falling forward. Heat rushed to her face, the space between her thighs aching.

No, wait, fuck—

"Told you. You heat up." He licked the shell of her ear and she made to kick him, but he dodged her easily, letting her slip on her own stupidity.

Kiara hit the shower floor with a nasty thud, her head hitting the glass of the shower door. She groaned. "…erfucker—"

Shin gripped at her chin, squeezing her cheeks together. "Hurry up, Toy. You're gonna fix this shit."

With that, he left, slamming the bathroom door behind him.

Kiara rubbed the back of her head, water falling over her shoulders and down her body. Shin Tsukinami was one hell of a bastard.

And she'd never fucking sleep with that guy ever again.

Because he was right.

Vampires weren't supposed to feel this hot.

...

"I do not care for your personal affairs, but keep in mind she's yours only to purify."

Shin lowered his head despite himself. "No faster way to purify someone, right?"

"Do not get involved, Shin."

"You're the one who got me involved." He bit back.

"You've no one to blame but yourself. Your eye-"

"Ha. Was that my fault too?"

"You cost me my pride, that day."

"Like hell I did!"

Carla said nothing, only giving him that same condescending look he'd often receive from his mother.

Shin continued down the hallway, wondering why he stopped in the first place, when Carla couldn't really do much in this state to begin with. He didn't have to listen to him anymore. But...

Carla was desperate. Nothing like how he used to be. More than anything it pissed Shin off. Showing weakness so openly, the fuck was he thinking? It was _exactly_ like that time, but worse.

People like that deserved to die.

His eye throbbed behind his patch, the pain alternating from dull throbs to sharp pains that hit all the way to the back of his head.

Well, he thought, tugging at the patch to let the skin breathe, desperate or not, that sort of thing...

Wasn't he the same?


	12. Chapter 12

Edgar had been doing his absolute best until now. He really had. But it wasn't his fault he'd exhausted his limits so quickly. He was raised a prince. Spoiled and fawned upon since birth. So now, even if he _was_ with Yuma, trudging through the wilds of the demon world...

It was getting to be more than he could bear.

Couldn't they have just…taken a carriage? Offered a treaty of some sort? That would have been simpler. He could probably write up a treaty at this very moment. All they had to do was make Carla an offer he couldn't refuse. That'd be easy enough, wouldn't it?

Edgar's stomach rumbled, and his head pounded with dizziness. This was, as Kiara said, the _absolute worst._

"Yumaaa..." He tried to not whine, but the name in itself came out very much like a whine.

Yuma took in a deep breath, stopping up ahead and not turning around.

"Yes, Edgar?"

The pureblood knew from that tone that he should have just said it was nothing and continued on. But he couldn't help it. And if it meant being spoiled by Yuma, even just for a little bit…

"We've had nothing but—" Edgar pushed a branch away dramatically, as if it took all his strength to do so, "Nothing but animal blood for days. I'm _hungry_."

"Animal blood is good enough for now. We can't spare a trip to the human world. By that time—"

Of course, in theory there was nothing that could be done. Edgar knew that. Was expecting the exact answer Yuma had just given him. So he wasn't exactly sure why he continued on.

"I know," the prince whined, "I know but it's so _bitte_ r-"

Yuma's arm came so close to Edgar's face that for a moment, the young prince thought he was going to get punched.

"Go." Yuma said, looking him right in the eye, towering over Edgar's much smaller frame. The Sakamaki son turned bright red, his heart stopping. He'd done it now.

But surely, he'd been expecting this sort of outcome? So why…

"No, nono I didn't-" he pushed Yuma's arm away, "It's fine. I mean _I'm_ fine. I mean-" his hands began to sweat, the beat of his heart pumping in erratic patterns, reminding him that he was a coward, "Deer blood is fine." He finished finally, clearing his throat.

He was surprised to hear Yuma chuckle, and even more surprised when the larger man handed him a sugar cube. Edgar couldn't help but wonder if Yuma still saw him as nothing more than that same spoiled kid from so long ago. Probably. He sure was acting it. After he told himself he wouldn't.

"That against drinking a man's blood?" Yuma smirked, a slight tinge of surprise in his voice. Enough to make Edgar's eyes widen, anyway.

"No it's not that..." Edgar twirled the sugar in his fingers, begging the red of his cheeks to die down, before he realized what he had just said, "I mean of course, a man's blood…something like that…what I mean to say—"

"I get it." Yuma said suddenly.

Edgar blinked, thinking he'd just written his own death sentence. But what did that mean, exactly? That Yuma understood? That he _knew?_ Suddenly, Edgar didn't want to know.

So he simply cleared his throat. Assumed Yuma enjoyed sweet blood as much as any other vampire.

"Yuma? Is this why you always carry sugar?"

To Edgar's surprise, Yuma sat down, stretching out his legs and giving a low groan that only made Edgar's heart quicken all the more.

"Wanna know a secret?"

Hesitantly, Edgar sat down beside him, pulling his knees to his chest. "O-Ok."

"Back when I was human, I was part of this group. We couldn't ever eat much more than bread. So things like sugar might as well've been gold."

Edgar's mouth went dry, his mind spinning, and his words fighting themselves over what should be said first. "When you were hu— but that— I mean— since when?"

"For a while now."

Edgar's eyes lit up, and saddened at the same time. He'd known for a long time. It didn't make it hurt any less. But something like that…it was no wonder Yuma felt the way he did. "So Kiki did it then. Just like she said she would. She always does come through-"

"Kiara didn't have anything to do with it. They came back on their own."

"Oh." Edgar said quietly, his mind still spinning. "Well, in any case-"

"Don't congratulate me."

Edgar swallowed awkwardly. Didn't know what to say anymore, after that.

"What're you thinking?"

"Huh?"

Yuma glanced at him, "You're always jumping to conclusions."

Edgar pulled his knees up closer, "Is that a bad thing?"

"You'll go bald."

Edgar smiled at that. "Did you not want them back? Your memories, I mean."

Yuma looked at him, and Edgar felt shivers go down his spine. "Sorry, I didn't—"

"It's fine," Yuma said, giving a careless shrug, "Some things kind of make sense now."

Edgar bit his lip. "Like what?"

It took Yuma a long time to reply. "Like you're dad. He's different, though."

"He did say you were very good friends, back then."

"Yeah, except _back then_ was a long ass fucking time ago."

Edgar muttered under his breath about the crudeness of Yuma's language. And it was silent, for a while, before either of them said anything. When Yuma did speak up though, it was soft. As though the wind might carry his words off his tongue.

"Scary, how much you look like him."

Edgar looked away. "It's the hair."

Yuma chuckled, "If you'd gotten his eyes too I swear you'd be the same."

"Well I'm not the same." Edgar stood up suddenly, "I'll never be King, I can't get a single good note out of a violin and I'm not—"

"Calm down," Yuma yanked him by the arm, pulling him back down, "You're always so fucking dramatic."

Edgar knew if he started to cry now, he'd only seem even more dramatic. But for some reason, he was angry. Furious, even. And being this close to Yuma wasn't helping. Because nothing had worked out the way it was supposed to. And it was stupid it was so _stupid—_

"Hey," Yuma said softly, squeezing his arms and letting Edgar rest against his shoulder, "You're ok."

The only way to describe Edgar at that moment was to say he was _blubbering,_ which was undignified in every sense of the word, but he couldn't stop his tears, which he'd probably been holding for a lot longer than he'd originally thought. But damn it all why couldn't he get them to _stop-_

"You know," Yuma's voice sounded distant. Different, almost. "Shit's only gonna get worse from here."

Edgar wiped his eyes, "So stop crying, is that it?"

This time, Yuma did punch him in the arm. "So get it all out now. Cuz when we're over there facing the Tsukinamis it's not gonna be signing a fucking peace treaty and parting as friends."

Edgar scoffed. Almost laughed. "You're getting soft, you know?"

"I can punch you harder, Prince."

Edgar smiled. "Save it for the Tsukinamis."

…

"Lady Sakamaki."

She froze, feeling rather strange about being called "lady." But it was just like Carla to keep up appearances, even at a time like this, going to far as to formally request an audience with her.

"Your excellence." She gave a polite bow, enough to show the required respect.

"I will apologize in place of my brother."

She flinched. "Oh, that-"

"But it seems as though apologies are not necessary."

Kiara swallowed awkwardly. Papa always said no one could make you feel ashamed other than your own self.

Dear Papa, that wasn't quite right. Because Carla was making her feel all sorts of shame. "I..."

"I see you cured his ailment. A peculiar wound. Don't you agree?"

"I suppose..."

"I will thank you for it, Lady Sakamaki. I would have fixed it myself. But my power is not what it used to be."

"Which is why you kidnapped me."

"Tell me," he said, avoiding her question, "Where did you learn to handle such drugs? Your uncle, no doubt."

For a moment, she almost corrected him. "Yes," she said, "Uncle Reiji...is a strict teacher."

"Compared to that father of yours I'm sure anyone would be by comparison."

Kiara thought this guy and papa might make great friends.

"If that was all you needed me for-"

"I suggest you do not get your hopes up, Your Highness. The end of this story won't be a happy one. After your purification-"

"I know perfectly well the sort of fate that awaits me," Carla seemed shocked at the fact that she's interrupted, but Kiara figured the damage had been done and continued on anyway, "But the time for that is not quite upon us."

"Denial of the fact does not make it any less real." Carla warned.

Kiara shifted, "When the time comes, it will be as you say. What I choose to do now will have no lingering effects."

Carla smiled. She couldn't see it, but she could tell from the way his eyes sharpened. And she almost wished he hadn't. "You seem to know your place, Princess. And yet you are still hopelessly naive."

Part of her wanted to scratch his eyes out, but she was supposed to be Eloise. Of course, with Shin yelling out _Sampson_ every two minutes she found it rather suspicious that Carla still didn't know.

But he was so obviously desperate, even know. The way he talked was scary, condescending and cruel, the way she figured it'd be.

But her father was Reiji Sakamaki. And Kiara knew enough to pick up on the subtleties of people like that. The way Carla only spoke from behind his scarf, to hide the scent of blood he was no doubt coughing up. How he would tug at it with anxious fingers—though it'd be easy to miss if you weren't looking properly— to make sure it stayed in place. And for a moment Kiara wondered if maybe…

"What will you do, if they come to rescue me?"

"I do wonder." Carla replied.

Kiara narrowed her eyes, "If it's a war you want, you'll lose. Surely you realize—"

"Your father's subjects are not as loyal as they seem. After Karlheinz, they're wary of vampires. You're self aware enough to realize this, aren't you?"

"Shu and Karlheinz—"

"Founders have ruled the demon world for eons. It is only fitting that we take our place once more."

"You're insane. There's always been multiple Kingdoms—"

"And among those one must always stand above the rest. Don't you agree, Lady Sakamaki?"

Kiara stiffened. He wasn't acting out of desperation alone. "That's why you won't kill me," she breathed, "You don't just need my blood…I'm your leverage."

"A smart girl indeed, I see you were raised well."

"My…" Kiara struggled, "My father won't submit to save me."

"Perhaps not. But the bond between a mother and her child is quite irremovable."

Kiara's heart raced, "She'd never betray him! Kingdom over kin-"

"A mother," Carla said calmly, "Will stop at nothing."

It wasn't that it was a dastardly evil plan or anything like that. It wasn't even particularly cunning. But it was enough. All he really needed to drive a family apart. What was it her mother alwyas said, from that one human. It drove Papa insane. A house divided shall not stand? Something like that?

If Uncle Shu and Auntie Yui began to argue then her own parents would need to get involved. And breaking them all apart from the inside out…

It was probably already happening now. It didn't matter that she wasn't Eloise. Kiara knew her parents well enough. Papa with his need to do everything on his own and Mother with her complete refusal to speak her mind until the very last moment. They were both so frustratingly flawed that there was no way Shu would be able to do anything even if…

Kiara swallowed, suddenly paling. Did Carla know who she was? "If that will be all." She said thickly.

Carla waved his hand, dismissing her.

The door hadn't fully closed before she ran, bolting through the halls and practically sliding past the intended room, bursting through to hear Shin's pissed off _OY—_

"Does he know who I am?"

"What the fuck—"

"Carla, does he know who I am—"

Shin grabbed her by the throat, throwing her onto the bed. "Don't fucking think you can come in here without proper payment, Toy. I told you, didn't I—"

"Does Carla know that I'm not Shu's daughter?" She said, her voice soft.

Shin let her go with suspicion. "What?"

"Does he?"

Shin scoffed, "If he did you'd be dead—"

"No, that's not it. More than the endzeit—Shin, he wants a war."

She was knocked off the bed, tumbling to the ground with a sudden thrust, Shin's transformation knocking her to the ground.

Sharp teeth and a wide grin met her eyes, Shin's paws keeping her nailed to the ground. "You ever danced with death, Sampson? Had it breathing down your neck for centuries? Whispering quiet threats that don't seem so bad, until they've piled up so high you can't even see what's in front of you anymore."

Kiara inhaled, staring at him. "That doesn't change the fact that he wants—"

"Don't be such a dumb bitch. If he knew, you'd be dead. And if you keep pissing me off I'll fucking tell him myself."

"That supposed to be a threat—"

"Are you that stupid? I can smell it, you know. That fear of yours-"

"I'm not-"

"No," He licked his lips, "But it's there. Because we both know Carla won't hesitate, don't we? Trust me, Toy, I can't wait to see him rip out that blood sucking throat of yours."

Kiara scoffed, "Because you can't do it yourself, right? Even with Endzeit you gotta let your big brother take care of every—"

She'd been bitten before. Lots of times, actually. By Shin and otherwise. But in his wolf form, it was a pain she'd never experienced in her entire immortal life.

"That scream wasn't too bad, you know. Makes up for your fucking blood."

She spit in his face, but he hardly seemed to notice. If anything, he laughed. "That all you got, Sampson?"

He shifted on top of her, paws becoming hands that pinned her wrists up over her head, cackling, "How lewd are you? Even now you're heating up. You like pain? That's not fucking scary at all."

"I don't have to be. Just like you don't have to be, because Carla fights all your battles."

Shin smirked. "Yeah? And who's gonna come save you? They would've been here by now, don't you think?"

"You probably forget because you keep calling me Sampson. But my father is Reiji Sakamaki—"

He slammed her wrists against the ground. "I know damn well who the fuck your father is! You think that guy scares me? Get over your fucking entitlement, _Vampire._ Your entire clan isn't worth the dirt under my fucking shoes."

Kiara swung her arms down sharply, freeing her wrists from his grip and flipping them over quickly, pinning his thighs down with her knees and putting his own hands by his head. She couldn't help the smirk that found it's way to her lips. "Sorry, I could't hear your whiney ass comments over the sound of my _entitlement._ "

Shin smirked back, running his tongue over his fangs. "You really piss me off, Sampson."

"Trust me, it's mutual."

 _"Trust me it's mutual-_ why the fuck is your voice so nasally?"

Her eyes went red, before she bit him, right in the cheek, beneath his patch. On the one hand, she knew she was causing him pain, and on the other, she got to taste the delicacy that was a founder's blood. So it was like killing two birds with one stone. Which was probably why she couldn't help but laugh at the way his body tensed under her bite. "You gonna tell Carla on me?" She scoffed, letting his wrists go to wipe her mouth, upon which he immediately flipped them over again, Kiara's head hitting the floor with a blunt _thud_ that sent her mind reeling.

Wolf eyes, gold and sharp, stared down at her, only making her all the more dizzy, before they hovered right over her own, swallowing up her plain brown gaze.

"Worse than that," he breathed, smirking, and for a moment Kiara wondered if this was what it felt like to be eaten alive.

She didn't know what she had been expecting. No, she knew exactly what she'd been expecting. And part of her felt guilty, almost, from the way...no it wasn't guilt. It was…anger? Was she pissed?

But if that were the case, she definitely wouldn't...not with him...of all people definitely not...

But a Founder's blood, a Founder's _heat…_

Just _what_ was she doing?

She'd die alright. When it became like this she was as good as dead anyway. Willingly flocking to the jaws of a predator and feigning ignorance, like some sort of...

"The fuck are you laughing at?"

Was she laughing? Maybe she'd hit her head a bit too hard. "Fever..."

"What?"

"Increase in body temperature to kill off bacteria. Generally accompanied by headaches-definitely have one- and shivering. In extreme cases it can make you delirious, which would explain the laughter. In short, Shin Tsukinami, you make me sick."

He looked at her in a way that could only be described as _new,_ and Kiara thought for sure she was going crazy. How hot could her blood get before it stopped flowing?

"You're not shivering." He said flatly.

"No. I guess I'm not." She replied in an equally mundane manner, as if the two of them were old friends discussing the weather.

He grabbed her by the chin, for the first time not smirking, or glaring, or showing off his fangs; simply continuing on in that hopelessly stable voice.

"I'll give you a proper fever."

A promise or a death sentence...

Kiara didn't know the difference anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

"Can't you go any—" she gasped, her back arching, "Harder?!"

Shin lunged, grunting so close to her face her heart nearly stopped, "Ha, can you handle that sort of thing, Sampson?"

Their swords clashed in a scraping of metal, neither one giving way, until finally Kiara pulled back, slashing at his sleeve. Shin didn't waste much time, going for her stomach, managing to tear her shirt.

It wasn't until both were practically on their knees that they decided on a draw.

Kiara let her sword drop, before she rolled dramatically onto the ground, her chest rising and falling in heavy pants.

"Fuck I'm starving."

"You're pathetic." He said, picking up her sword and swinging it around his palm.

"You're as bad as me." She snapped, closing her eyes and taking in deeper inhales, before slowly getting up, wiping her forehead with her arm. "I need a shower. And food."

"So shower then." Shin barked, turning his back to her and arranging the swords on the wall.

Kiara rolled her eyes at that, wiping her hands on her pants before leaving the room, heading up the stairs towards her bathroom where hopefully Shin wouldn't interrupt.

He had a habit of doing that.

Which was pretty gross considering they were both drowned in sweat after matches like that. But she was getting better. He wasn't beating her as easily anymore. For a moment, Kiara even thought he looked good, panting with his legs parted and sword held in white knuckles.

It was stupid to think about things like that, though.

So she simply pushed the thought away, took a shower and put on a spare change of clothes. At the very least she was granted underwear now, which was a relief. Not that it really mattered, considering Shin had a habit of…

Kiara's hand went to her mouth, as she cleared her throat. That was gross. What the hell was she thinking about?

Pushing those thoughts away _again,_ she went back downstairs, towards the dining room that always seemed to have food ready. That is, if what she was being fed could even be _called_ food.

But just as she had gotten to the last step, she caught a flurry of red hair. Which, of course, was suspicious, since he was moving rather quickly.

So she followed. Down a winding path full of old paintings of all sorts, something that looked like a copy of the Mona Lisa—but maybe it was the original— a darkened version of Starry Night and a million others Kiara didn't recognize but knew Edgar probably would.

Damn she missed that guy. How was he doing, she wondered?

But her cousin was quickly pushed from her mind, when she saw Shin slip through heavy wooden doors.

It was just too fucking suspicious.

And when she followed in after him, she saw nothing but red.

Because that fucker seriously, _seriously?-_

The scent alone was about the most overwhelming thing she'd ever encountered. And this was coming from the daughter of a man who was considerably one of the finest cooks in the demon world.

"What the hell is this?"

Shin hesitated, looking around, "A kitchen?"

Kiara went livid. This entire time, the _entire time—_

"You said you were short on food! You've been giving me nothing but soup!"

Shin cackled, holding onto his stomach, "Oh shit you believed me?"

For a moment she thought of grabbing the nearest frying pan and smacking him upside the head. But there weren't any within reach, so she wasn't granted the pleasure.

She pushed past him, heading straight for the pantry and looking for something, _anything_ with sugar. The only thing the Tsukinamis seemed to have was cake. Which was fine. But she would've preferred cookies.

"That why you're so fat?" Shin nodded at the large piece of cake, popping some almonds into his mouth.

Kiara rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot. Obviously my only real staple is blood."

He scoffed, "You sure about that?"

"Better than…" she motioned with her hands, "Whatever the fuck that is."

"They're nuts."

Kiara nearly choked. "Oh, I'm sure you _love_ those."

"Oy," He grabbed a handful, shoving them into her mouth, "How about for once in your life you shut the _fuck_ up."

Kiara coughed, spitting most of them up, "Oh god. That's awful. So salty."

"Better than that sugary shit."

Without missing a beat Kiara grabbed a slice of the cake, shoving it into Shin's own mouth. "I beg to differ."

Kiara laughed while breaking off a piece and chewing it, smiling at the look of disgust on his face. "See? Delicious."

"Like hell it is."

Kiara cocked her head, "Founders survive on blood too, don't they?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On none of your fucking business."

Kiara glared at him, but decided to ignore him, because this chocolate cake was ten million times more important. "Gods I missed this so much."

Shin popped more almonds into his mouth, "You got a sweet tooth?"

"Mmm," Kiara chewed, "Something like that."

Shin looked at her, but didn't say anything, the kitchen becoming eerily quiet as Shin crunched on the almonds.

_"What?"_

He shrugged, "Nothing. If you're always eating sugar then I'm not sure why your blood tastes like shit."

Kiara groaned, rolling her eyes and having more of her cake, wondering if stress eating was a real thing with vampires. Probably. Because even though she had cake all she really wanted were some of Papa's cookies. Or Auntie Yui's. She'd never tell Papa but Yui made some damn good cookies.

They weren't that hard to make. All she really needed was…

"Hey," she said suddenly, her head perking up, "How do you feel about peanut butter?"

"Peanut butter?"

She nodded.

He shrugged. "It's fine."

Immediately Kiara went back into the pantry, getting out some flour and baking powder.

"The fuck are you doing? Didn't I tell you to not walk around like you own—"

"Peanut butter," she dropped the flour onto the counter, "Chocolate chip cookies. You'll die. They're the best I promise."

Shin raised his eyes in suspicion. "You're gonna bake…from scratch?"

She nodded, reaching into the fridge to grab some eggs. "Auntie Yui is always making shit. I picked up a thing or two. Trust me they're amazing, humans don't have anything else to do so they spend all their time cooking."

"You're like a real housewife."

"Shut _up._ "

Shin's jumped off the counter, walking into what looked like another pantry, Kiara watching when he came out holding a dark bottle.

He poured himself a glass of the purple liquid, swirling it in the glass.

"What are you doing?"

He raised the glass at her, "Enjoying the show. Since you're gonna burn my whole fucking kitchen down."

Kiara deadpanned, trying to ignore him. "Is it Demon wine?"

"Damn right."

Her eyes sparkled, "That stuff is pretty hard to come by..."

"Who the hell do you think I am?"

She rolled her eyes, "Right, right, of course," she pursed her lips, digging through drawers before finally coming to a measuring cup, "But still...it's pretty rare..."

Shin groaned, "Are you saying you _want_ some, Sampson?"

"I'm saying you should at least _offer-"_

He opened one of the cabinets, before slamming it closed, pulling out another glass. "There's that entitlement of yours."

Kiara was going to refute that, but held back, considering he was, in fact, pouring her some wine. So instead, she said, "I'm not sure wine and cookies go together."

"Does it really fucking matter?"

She glared at him, "Well it should make sense at least."

"Alcohol doesn't have to make sense. That's the point, Sampson. How thick are you?" He shook the glass in front of her face.

She took it with a flat face, "I don't get drunk easily, you know."

Shin smirked, smile claiming his whole face, "Neither do I."

"Then," she said, clinking his glass, "Cheers."

…

Kiara laughed, taking another sip, "Ok, ok, but seriously, what's your favorite color?"

He glared at her, taking a sip of his own glass, "Red."

Kiara narrowed her eyes, pointing at him with the hand that held the glass, "You look like a red sort of guy."

Shin mimicked her stance, narrowing his eyes even further, "Let me guess," he motioned to her entire face, "Black."

"It's a good color!"

"It's literally the _absence_ of color."

Kiara cackled at that, brushing her hair out of her face and nearly spilling the wine, "That's…there's nothing wrong with that…exactly…" she giggled again, "Oh my god, this is so bad."

"Your face is so fucking red."

"So is yours!"

Shin cackled, "Fuck, it's like a cherry with your stupid round face."

She giggled, holding her cheeks in her palms, "God I know it's so gross, every time I—oh my god! Do you have cherries?"

"I think…" Shin leaned back, trying to hold back his laughter with a scoff, but not succeeding, nearly falling off his chair instead, "In the fridge…"

Kiara stumbled to it, pulling the door with sudden impulse.

"Oy, the fuck do you wanna do with my cherries!"

"Didn't you say," she tumbled over her words, staggering and dropping the bowl on the counter, a few of the cherries spilling out, "You said you could do the knot thing. I wanna see the knot thing."

"How old are you?"

"I wanna see it!"

Shin growled, grabbing at a cherry and popping it in his mouth, sucking for a bit and pressing his lips together, Kiara watching his face in fascination. In a few moments, Shin stuck out his tongue, revealing a perfectly tied knot out of the cherry stem.

Kiara squealed.

"I wanna try oh my god," she reached for about five cherries, "That's so fucking cool—"

"One at a time dipshit you can't do it all at once."

She giggled, dropping them all save for one, and then putting it in her mouth, "Ok."

Shin laughed. "You're kind of stupid."

She laughed back, "Shut up, I'm drunk."

"I can tell."

Kiara laughed some more, sucking on the cherry and then making random motions with her tongue.

"Ayy gannn't…." She tried some more, her tongue slipping over her lips and the stem sticking out between her teeth, "It's not working!"

"Figures. You suck at kissing."

"I," she declared, pushing the stem to her cheek, "Am a _fabulous_ kisser."

"So tie the knot."

"I can't!"

He reached for her face, palming her cheeks and shoving his tongue past her lips, reaching for the stem.

Kiara hummed softly, her face even warmer with his hands cupping her like that, his tongue sliding skillfully over hers.

Shin pulled away, the stem between his teeth. "There," he said, pulling it out to reveal a knot.

Kiara's eyes widened in both awe and surprise. "That's fucking amazing."

There was a loud _ding!_ from the oven, and Kiara practically fell out of her chair, stumbling to get the cookies out, a few stray locks falling over her eyes.

"Don't they smell amazing? Tell me I'm awesome."

"They smell like cookies you fucking drunk."

She set them down, burning her finger slightly so her hand shot up suddenly, effectively smacking Shin in the face. She laughed some more. "Oh shit I'm so sorry. Not really cuz it's funny you know but," she continued to giggle, "Fuck this is bad."

"Worse than I thought it'd be."

"You're as drunk as I am!"

"At least I'm not fucking wobbling around like you."

"Walk, then. And no holding onto the counter."

Shin swallowed, "The fuck should I do that for?"

 _"See?"_ Kiara pressed a finger to his face, "You're drunk too~"

He smacked her upside the head, "Like hell I am!"

She hardly felt that though, her mind buzzing regardless, so she took a cookie and pulled it apart, letting the melted chocolate ooze from the tear. "Here," she offered him the other half, "Try it."

And for a moment Kiara felt…weird. Because this whole thing in itself was weird. And why was she here again? Specifically in this kitchen, specifically in this goddamn castle, specifically with _this_ guy…

Oh man.

The walls were spinning.

"Oy," Shin kicked her lightly, "Get up."

Whoa. When had the floor gotten right next to her face?

Kiara struggled to sit up, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders. She patted the ground, looking for her hairband, getting horribly frustrated because the checkered pattern on the kitchen floor was making her _seriously_ dizzy—

"You don't look as ugly with your hair down." Shin leaned on the counter, cookie in one hand and resting his chin on the other.

Kiara groaned, puffing her cheeks at the ground like a little kid, finally finding her hair tie. "I hate it down."

"Mm?"

She scrunched up her features, looking at him. "It gets in my face."

Shin cocked his head, bending over to reach with his left hand, and for a moment Kiara thought he might actually tuck her hair behind her ear. But instead he reached around behind her neck, dumping all of her hair over her head.

"You're the fucking _worst."_ Though she didn't do anything to fix it, just continued to pout on the floor.

"Definitely much better with your hair down," Shin cackled, taking another bite of his cookie, "Now I don't have to see your stupid face."

"Mmm," Kiara hummed, "And I don't have to see yours."

Her head spun. This was getting pretty stupid, even if she _was_ drunk. So with a nauseous feeling in her stomach she quickly pulled her hair back, tying it up in a bun, before standing back up on wobbly legs, making her way to the chair.

Silently, she took another cookie, and sipped more wine.

Maybe she should have stopped sipping the goddamn wine.

"Hey," she said softly, "Tell me about your eye."

"Why the hell would I tell you that?"

It was now Kiara's turn to rest her chin in her hands, "Blame it on the alcohol." She said with curious innocence, her eyes shaped in a smile.

Shin scoffed at that, swirling his drink around before gulping it down.

"It was real silver, like I said."

"Mhmm."

"He was a vampire."

"Big guy?"

"Huge."

Kiara laughed at that. "It wasn't Karlheinz, was it?"

"No, not that guy. I could've taken that guy."

Kiara snorted, which he wasn't very happy about, but she urged him to continue anyway.

"Shit, it was so long ago. He was a goddamn fucker I'll tell you that," He started to laugh, uncontrollably almost, slamming his glass against the counter, "Don't insult a man's mother, holy fuck. Isn't that some sort of rule or something?"

Kiara giggled quietly, "Maybe?"

"Ok," Shin grinned, finally giving away the fact that maybe he wasn't as sober as he wanted to be, "It was great. He was so fucking pissed. The look on his face was priceless."

Kiara's eyes widened. "But you lost."

Shin grinned wildly. "I didn't walk away with nothing." He poured himself more wine, before pulling out his necklace.

It was the first time Kiara noticed it was in the shape of a coffin. Without thinking she took the gem in her hand, twisting it over to inspect it. Though at this point, it might as well have been a red blob.

"Fuck," she whispered under her breath, "They must've been loaded."

"Yeah but that fucker still took my goddamn eye."

Kiara laughed suddenly, a high pitched bell sound she wasn't entirely familiar with. "That really fucking sucks. I'm sorry."

Wait. _Sorry?_

"I don't need your pity, Sampson."

"Like I'd ever give you my pity."

"Fuck what the hell," he stood up suddenly, too suddenly, because the first step he took he ended up tripping over his own legs, stumbling into the kitchen counter and falling to the ground.

Kiara burst out laughing at that, yelling at him that she _knew_ he was drunk.

"Fuck," Shin rested his head against the counter, "How many bottles was that?"

"Three? I think…we threw one away…"

"That's _four_ Sampson."

She giggled, "Is it?"

And suddenly he was standing up again, hovering right over her, Kiara now dizzy for an entirely new reason.

Was it bad, that her head craned up of it's own accord? That her lips parted slightly when he leaned in, that her eyes were just about to flutter—

"I really can't fucking stand you."

She could feel his breath on her lips.

"Rude," she turned her head, drinking down what was left of the wine.

He grabbed her by the throat, making her look at him, "Part of me wants to kill you, you know that?"

Kiara inhaled sharply, reaching a brief moment of clarity, hearing her blood rush in her ears. This was typical, wasn't it? Simply the way they acted around each other?

But it _felt_ different, his expression, the way his grip on her neck felt like he might actually _snap,_ rip out her throat and feed her to the wolves. And yet it wasn't exactly... _scary,_ but she got the feeling that maybe it was supposed to be, or maybe it _was_ but with the wine...

Only _part_ of him?

"Well…" she hesitated, "What about the other part?"

He squeezed her neck, Kiara feeling her blood spike, for some reason feeling a strange ache in her fangs _,_ which was _stupid_ considering her life was on the line—

"That's the part that pisses me off the most."

He let her go roughly, pushing against her throat so that her head knocked back, before he walked away, swiping at the pan of cookies so that they all tumbled to the floor in a metallic clang.

Kiara sat quiet, looking at the stove, her mind spinning and her lashes heavy. It had to be the alcohol.

Because for one reason or another, she almost felt like crying.

She laughed at herself, grimacing when she realized there was nothing left in her glass. So she reached for another cookie instead. Somehow the only taste in her mouth was a bitter one. Had she eaten some almonds by mistake?

She swallowed, the peanut butter and chocolate mixing on her tongue.

Home wasn't something that was constantly on her mind. Maybe that was shameful. Maybe that's why now, it was hitting her as hard as it was. Maybe it was just the cookies, because Auntie Yui used to make these all the time. Maybe it was the fact that it made her think of Eloise, and how she was always so happy, because peanut butter and chocolate were her absolute favorite.

But Kiara refused, inhaling deeply and letting her cookie fall to the floor, because if Shin had knocked over the whole damn tray then what did it matter?

He'd wanted a duel, right? Wasn't that the only reason? Because something had happened with the Sampson's or the Sakamkis or maybe both and he just had a stick up his ass ever since.

Wait.

 _She_ had a right to be mad too. How come he was the one who always got to explode with no warning? She could do the same goddamn thing if she wanted. Because _he_ was fucking impossible. And _he_ pissed _her_ off just as much, with his goddamn mood swings and his _Sampson_ this and _Sampson_ that.

Fuck her head hurt so much.

Kiara ran— but really it was just a series of stumbles— up the stairs, to the room she preferred to not admit that she spent most nights in.

"I wanna kill you too, you know! With your stupid fucking face and your—"

"The fuck you think you are coming into my goddamn room—"

"You ungrateful bastard! You always just grab me however you want, like my throat and— it doesn't _hurt_ but goddamnit it—The least you could do is say thank you!"

"The fuck for?"

"I don't know!"

"Get the fuck out!"

"Not until you say thank you!"

"How fucking drunk are you—"

"The cookies! I made cookies and you didn't even—I mean I don't even _like_ peanut butter—"

"The hell did you _add_ peanut butter for then—"

"Because of your stupid fucking almonds you assshat!"

"That's not my fucking problem—"

"The hell it is! You—"

"Sampson." He grabbed her shoulders, slamming his head against hers in a way that hurt more than anything else, "Please shut the fuck up. My head's pounding like a motherfucker."

Kiara hiccuped. "Mine too."

"The fuck are you yelling for then?" Shin said in a lowered voice that attempted to be a whisper.

Kiara started shaking for some reason, lowering her own voice to match his. "I don't know."

Shin snorted, still holding onto her shoulders, lowering his head and laughing at the ground, "Goddamn."

"Shin…"

"What now?"

"I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Not in my fucking bathroom—"

Kiara wobbled, pulling away from him and then plopping onto the bed, groaning into the mattress. "I shouldn't have gone that fast."

"Idiot. It's like you've never drunk before."

Kiara grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest and closing her eyes. "I'm…sleep…"

"Go to your own room."

She opened her eyes, but they quickly closed again, "Why?"

Maybe he answered. Maybe he didn't. Kiara didn't know. But something must have happened after that, because when she woke up again, they were both on the floor, the sheets sliding off the mattress.

They definitely hadn't had sex. Her body knew at least that much. So then, if they hadn't…

Kiara didn't get to think it over, her eyes still heavy, the weight of sleep and the warmth of Shin's scent pulling her under once more.


	14. Chapter 14

"It's a difference in scents."

"But surely—"

"You were not conditioned to it. It would be impossible to have noticed otherwise."

"Reina," Yui reached over, placing her hand on Reina's knee, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Reina hesitated, before exhaling softly. "It was not my place, Your Highness."

"You mean," Yui squeezed, so that Reina would look at her, "He didn't let you."

"I say," the door opened so suddenly that both women jumped in their seats, "We blame it on the Megane." He tugged at the flourishes on his neck, before ripping them off and shrugging his jacket off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor in a wrinkled lump. "Fuck I hate that shit."

"Ayato-kun!"

"Ehh?" He flashed his fangs, suddenly right by Yui, leaning in so close to her face that she was forced to crane her neck away. "And who said you could add a _kun_ to my name, Your High~ness~"

"Ayato." Reina scolded.

"Tch," he backed away, sitting next to Reina with exaggerated movements. "Where is he by the way?"

"Reiji is—"

"Oh, let me guess, let me guess! In his lab, trying to cure Endzeit. Yeah? How'd I do, Onee-san?"

Reina said nothing, turning to Yui with a calm expression, "In any case, I called you here because I have not been completely honest."

Yui trembled. "Yes, what is it?"

"It's Edgar. He's—"

"Run off with Yuma? Were you gonna tell her Eloise ran away too? With that Vibora, the fuck was his name…you know who I mean," Ayato waved his hand at the Queen, "Creepy green eyes."

 _"Ayato—"_ Reina began, but immediately stopped, the moment she saw Yui's expression. Because it was the sort of look only a mother with a lost child could have. No tears. Simply…emptiness.

"I…" she began shakily, "I beg your pardon?"

"Ayato," Reina jumped in again, "Eloise is being protected by Shiroyama. They're currently—"

"Check again, Onee-san," he said, crossing his arms and slumping into the couch, "They were leaving when I was on my way in here."

"Then we can still catch—"

"No…" It was now Reina's voice that trembled.

Ayato grinned, leaning forward, "You really don't know much, do you, Your Majesty?"

Yui ignored him, turning to Reina for answers.

She inhaled, her chest feeling heavy. "Shiroyama Koichi is a royal guard. Therefore he knows passages that even we are unaware of. This was done for our own safety, a long time ago—"

"No one cares about the specifics," Ayato growled, "The point is, all three of those little shits are gonna get eaten by the goddamn Tsukinamis if we don't _do_ something—"

"And what can we do!" Yui's voice was loud, but it trembled just the same, "They have Kiara captive! If we make any sort of—"

"Send your daughter as replacement." Ayato said coldly.

"Ayato—"

"It's not Kiara they want. That's obvious. They need Eloise's blood. Better yet, why don't _you_ go? You've got demon blood too. You realize that much at least, don't you? With that fucking woman's heart in your goddamn body—"

" _Ayato—"_

"Yeah, come to think of it. It's not Megane-kun's fault. It's yours."

He was smacked. Harshly, with her nails claiming his skin.

Yui shook, tears falling silently from her eyes.

"Please leave, Ayato." Reina sighed, his blood dripping from her fingertips.

He held back a growl, "Stop acting like this has some sort of reasonable solution! _They_ attacked _us—"_

"I will not be so naive as to pretend that we will come to an amicable solution. But assigning blame amongst ourselves is perhaps the most naive of all. It's as you said. _They_ attacked. The only blame is on Carla himself."

Yui hadn't stopped crying, her sobs muffled by the palm of her own hand. Reina went over to sit by her, resting her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them encouragingly.

"If we begin to argue amongst ourselves we will come to nothing. A-"

"House divided shall not stand, isn't that the phrase?"

Everyone turned to look at Shu, his arm bandaged and placed closely at his side, but looking incredibly regal nonetheless.

"Shu!" Yui exclaimed, "You're still not well," She moved to get up, but Shu held up his good hand, stopping her. "I am fine. You, however, seem tired, my Queen. Your fault, I presume." He glanced at Ayato.

"Don't give me that shit. The entire demon world's gonna fall apart cuz you guys didn't know how to raise your goddamn kids."

"Would you be missed, I wonder, if you suddenly disappeared—"

"Shu." Reina and Yui spoke at the same time.

The King sighed, rubbing his temple before looking at Reina. "Where's Reiji?"

"In his lab." She answered.

He nodded, turning as if to make his way there.

"Shu!" Yui stood up suddenly, catching up to her husband. "Both of them, our children—"

He kissed her, rather boldly, without an ounce of shame, Reina shifting in her seat uncomfortably, and Ayato sticking out his tongue in disgust. He whispered something in Yui's ear, and she nodded, backing away, before Shu raised his head again, calling out to Ayato.

_"What."_

Shu motioned for him to follow, shutting the door behind him, and leaving the women alone.

They walked in silence for a few moments, Ayato begrudgingly following the King.

"How many do we have on hand?"

"Oh?" He grinned, "So suddenly I'm useful—"

"It seems as though your mouth has already caused you some scars. I won't ask again."

Ayato's hand went up to his cheek, muttering to himself. "Fifty-thousand."

"Including familiars?"

Ayato grinned again, " _Only_ familiars."

Shu stopped walking. Turned to look at him. "Are they in any position to—"

"Just who do you think I am? I know what I'm doing. If it's a war you want they'll be a nice buffer. But we'll need soldiers from the actual clans soon. The Tsukinamis have always had followers—"

"I don't intend to fight," Shu said calmly, "But I have no trouble losing familiars to create a distraction."

"Like he'll let something like that go."

"By that time, he'll be dead."

"What if he's not?"

"Then I will kill him myself."

Ayato cackled. "You an idiot? You forget one drop of his blood could—"

"You are not the only one trained to use a sword, Ayato."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Right right. Excuse me, Mr. _Firt-Born—"_

"Gather them. If my children do not return in two weeks time, send them off."

"You gonna tell Megane about this?"

"He doesn't need to know."

Ayato's face dropped. "This place is gonna fall to shit."

"Your opinion's irrelevant."

"Sure. But you're gonna be hated. How the fuck are you gonna gain loyalty?"

"I don't need it." He replied calmly, starting down the steps towards Reiji's lab.

"Oy," Ayato shouted after him, "The hell is that supposed to mean? You can't go into battle—"

"The only thing I need from them," Shu said, dismissing Ayato with his hand, "Is their fear."

…

Eloise Sakamaki had been raised on fairytales. On princes and dragons and impenetrable towers, happy endings and true love's first kiss.

So listening to Shiroyama talk about his relationship with Edgar…it was like a dream come true.

"…which is why I will protect you with my everything. Both you and Kiara mean most dearly to Edgar."

Eloise couldn't help the smile that spread her lips. "You really do care for him."

"He's my life."

It took all Eloise had to not swoon. This was everything she'd ever wanted. And her brother had _found_ it.

"I'm sure he'll scold us for following."

Koichi smiled, "Yes. He's always been very protective of you."

"And of you as well naturally! I'm sure he didn't tell you because—"

"He knew I would follow." Shiroyama smiled again, emerald eyes gleaming, "He has such a tendency to worry…"

"I bet you're glad Yuma's with him." Eloise chirped, skipping down the beaten path, her white shoes kicking up dirt.

Koichi continued to smile, his lips spread long and thin across his face. "Why, no. Not at all, Your Highness."

Eloise stopped. "Hmm? How come? He's always taken very good care of us—"

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Shiroyama placed his hand over his chest, his black hair made darker by the shade, "He is nothing but a simple gardener."

Eloise waved her hand, "Oh that's got nothing to do with it. He's very capable—"

"Your Highness," Koichi continued kindly, "As I'm sure you know, Edgar has been trained to a certain level of combat. If it were to come down to it, the one seeking protection would be Yuma, and not the other way around. I'm sure he has become quite a hindrance to His Highness."

Eloise cocked her head, wondering if that was true. Hadn't Yuma been a soldier of some sort? Well, it was different with vampires, but basic instinct was there, wasn't it? Surely, they'd protect each other. Yes, that was it.

"I suppose we'll know once we've caught up to them. It will be a relief to see him again. I'm sure you're both missing each other."

"Most heavily." Koichi replied.

Eloise smiled, offering her hand, "Don't worry. No matter what, I'll make sure you two get together again."

Koichi nodded respectfully, bowing his head before the future Queen. "I am humbled by your kindness, Your Majesty."

Eloise pulled her hand away, giggling to herself. "You're a bit of a sweet talker, Shiroyama. I hope you don't talk to Edgar that way, his face gets bright red at the smallest of compliments."

"It is exactly for that reason, Your Highness," Koichi explained, "That I speak to him in such a way."

Eloise couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head and bringing her fingers to her lips. "We'll have our family back together soon."

Koichi nodded, leading the way once more. "Indeed."

…

_"Achoo!"_

"What the hell?"

Edgar rubbed his nose, crinkling his features. "Ah, how strange. Someone must be talking about me. Or is that when your ears ring? Which one is the omen and which one is—"

Yuma stood right before him, leaning his face in close. "You're not sick, are you?"

Edgar pushed him away, "What sort of vampire would I be, getting sick—"

"Are you drinking enough blood?"

"Yes—"

"Even though it's bitter?"

_"Yes—"_

"You're not spitting it out after, are ya?"

"Yuma!" Edgar stomped his foot, "I am not a _child."_

Yuma chuckled. "I know, I know. Don't get your royal panties in a twist."

Edgar clenched his fists, but then released them, sighing to himself. He skipped in his step a few times, trying to catch up to the gardener.

"…Yuma?"

"Mm."

"About yesterday…I'm sorry…"

"It's in the past. Just forget about it already."

"But I—"

He stopped, Yuma clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Sorry."

"Bothers me…" the gardener muttered, starting to walk again.

"Huh?" Edgar struggled to catch up once more.

Yuma turned around, stopping again. "How much alike we are."

Edgar blinked. "How do you mean?"

Yuma leaned in close, _far too close,_ and for a moment Edgar thought he was actually going to _bite,_ but that'd be impossible, because for him to bite would mean—

He screamed, naturally. What else could he do?"

Yuma chuckled again, wiping the blood with the back of his hand, "Heh," he smacked his lips in satisfaction, "Sweet."

Edgar's face was all but burning, "H-How! How dare you! To take blood from a prince—we—we're both men! A-And—"

"Did it hurt?"

"That's not the problem here!" He screeched, trying to cover up his neck, to make the heat in his cheeks go down, to stop the burning of the bite that had come from Yuma's fangs. "Y-You should know! Biting a prince is punishable by de—"

"You gonna tell on me?"

Edgar looked at him, hardly managing to stand on weakened legs, his trembling hand covering the bite. Could Yuma tell he was shaking?

"I…"

"So bite me, and we'll call it even."

Edgar pushed him out of the way, continuing forward, "I have no interest in biting a dirty old man like you."

"Is that what you told Shiroyama?" Yuma called after him.

Edgar felt his chest clench. No. No, no, that was impossible. They had been careful. Incredibly careful. There was no way Yuma could know…

"What are you trying to say?" He sneered.

"I told you didn't I?" Yuma stood casually, adjusting his bag over his shoulder, "It bothers me."

"What bothers you?" Edgar eyed him suspiciously.

"How much alike we are."

"We're complete opposites, I have no idea what you're even—"

Edgar couldn't breathe, his heart stopping and beating furiously against his chest all at the same time, his heart caught in his throat and his cold blood rushing hot in his ears.

His lips burned, they _burned,_ and yet it was a feeling he didn't want to let go of, couldn't hold on to nonetheless, because Yuma was pulling away, was pulling away and Edgar knew he'd never be able to reach—

He pushed him away, creating a distance, Edgar stumbling back from his own efforts. "D-Don't! Don't touch me!"

Yuma smiled, "Was it that bad?"

Edgar was shaking, his hand over his mouth as if he were about to throw up. Not like this. Not with Yuma smirking at him like that. He didn't…he had only thought…

The tears fell on their own, the forest blurring before his eyes, Edgar not even fully realizing that he had started to run.


	15. Chapter 15

The end of Bach's Prelude No. 1 was her favorite to play, because it was one of the first she mastered, her fingers gliding across the keys in what she felt was true excellence, Mother smiling while she played and Papa nodding his head once she'd finished, giving her his silent praise of approval.

She missed them. Papa better be taking good care of Mother. Because she worried too much for her own good, Mother did. She was very much like Eloise in that sense. And Papa could be a goddamn idiot sometimes.

But they were fine, probably. They always were. Her cousin, on the other hand...

What _was_ Edgar doing, right now? He'd always loved listening to her play. Especially this piece. Calming, he called it. He and Eloise would often study while she performed a concerto or two. Eloise said this song sounded like falling in love, the ending a sweet kiss on lovers' lips.

"You play beautifully."

Kiara froze, her fingers hovering over the last note, playing it just a beat too late. "I am humbled by your compliment, Your Excellence." She got out rather rigidly.

Carla chuckled at that, Kiara gritting her teeth to keep her from saying anything she shouldn't.

"My, my. How formal. It seems as though that father of yours was capable of at least teaching you manners."

"I am a Princess." She stated.

"A Queen soon, no doubt."

"The throne will be passed to Edgar," Kiara bit coldly, "He's the oldest."

Carla moved around the piano, so that they could better look at each other, his robes dragging along the floor. "Lady Sakamaki," his tone held the aristocratic politeness Kiara was only all too familiar with, "If you would be so kind as to indulge me in dinner."

Kiara took her hands off the keys, resting them on her knees instead, "If you so wish, Your Highness."

Carla coughed, pulling out a handkerchief, the stain of red only all too clear before Kiara's eyes. And without meaning to, her expression softened. Was he so weak that he could no longer keep up appearances before her?

"There are remedies for the bleeding," she spoke without thinking, her knowledge begging to be of use, "If you could direct me to your medicines—"

Carla smirked, wiping his lips with the handkerchief, "How forthcoming," he mused, before folding it up, and putting it away, "The only remedy required, is your blood."

Kiara swallowed, sitting abnormally straight.

"I look forward to our dinner, Lady Sakamaki." He bowed before her, sending Kiara into a bit of a shock, her senses screaming at her to run. Because that was almost _too_ much. Which made it creepily suspicious.

She cleared her throat, not really knowing what to do with her hands, rubbing them over her pants as a result.

This was, as Papa would say, _most unfavorable._

…

Everything burned. As if he'd been set on fire. He'd never run so much in his life, his lungs feeling just about ready to burst. With a deep inhale, he smacked his cheeks _hard._

He was an idiot. He knew Kiki would call him overdramatic for reacting like this. But…but it _wasn't_ dramatic. Yuma had _kissed_ him, and even as a _joke_ something like that was going too _far._

Because something like that…between two _men…_

He didn't know when he'd begun to hyperventilate. But it was bad either way.

_Not like this not like this not like this._

If this was how it was then Edgar didn't want anything at all. How long had he been looking at Yuma? If he said all of his life, was that an exaggeration? Was he being dramatic again?

And since when had Yuma set his eyes on Kiara? For almost just as long? Was that also an exaggeration?

Not that Kiara ever noticed. Kiara never noticed _anything._

But it was _fine._ Edgar had accepted that a long time ago. It was why he'd finally said yes to Shiroyama.

His breath caught in his throat, his blood rushing in his ears.

_Wasn't that also why he'd **broken it off** with Shiroyama?_

So that…so that he could follow Yuma. So that he could silently and painfully carry out this one sided love with no more guilt. And now that he no longer had to be King…

"You little shit!"

He froze.

"What the fuck was that? You steered us way off course! Now we gotta backtrack!"

"Go on your own then!"

"Like I could! All this just for a—it was just a joke—"

"My feelings aren't a joke!" Edgar yelled, louder than he had in all his life, shouting and spitting at the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Oh.

He was crying.

Yuma didn't say anything, and Edgar was too scared to look at him, his everything shaking, because _had he really said that?_

This was it. This was the end for him. He'd just tell Yuma he was going back home. He'd explain everything to his father. And then they'd never speak again. And then, maybe, Edgar would finally be able to move on—

"Neither are mine."

Edgar's head shot up, though everything was still trembling, but that _had_ to be a joke too, right? Because what did something like that even _mean?_

"Y-You…" Edgar laughed, because he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to do, "What are you talking about?" His heart caught in his throat, not wanting to hear his answer, and yet _needing_ to, but not, definitely not, because what if he said...

Yuma rubbed behind his neck, looking pained. "I'm not really sure."

Edgar inhaled shakily, closing his eyes on the exhale, before putting on a pleasant smile. "It was my mistake. I overreacted. We're both blood hungry, and not in our right minds. Our top priority should be Kiara right now, and I was selfish. So let's—"

"That's a lot of nicely placed bullshit, right there. I almost believe you."

Why was Yuma like this? Didn't he see that Edgar was giving them both a clean way out?

"It's not bullshit, Mr. Mukami. I'm simply stating the obvious. We are both in want of blood. Our—"

"So you're saying you ran away because you want blood?"

His lips shook, "I am saying multiple things happened because—"

"Because you're in love with me."

His heart raced. That was bold, even for Yuma. "Th-That's preposterous, I'm—"

"I know. We're both guys. But it's not like—"

Edgar shook his head almost desperately, "I'm a vampire. And a prince. I wouldn't— I'm completely—"

"Normal? That what you tell yourself when you're with Shiroyama?"

His pulse _jolted,_ there he was again, mentioning Koichi. Why? Koichi had nothing to do with anything. "I have nothing to do with Shiroyama anymore."

Yuma raised his brow, crossing his arms, "Anymore?"

Edgar almost forgot to breathe, "I mean to say…he's no longer my guard…h-he's—"

"Hey," Yuma was very close now, his fangs looking so sharp Edgar thought he might faint, "Why'd you run?"

And he was crying again, uncontrollably, disgustingly, hiccuping his words. Was this supposed to be some sort of test? Because if so Edgar wanted no part of it. He had been holding on for far too long. To someone who...to a half-blood that would never...

"Are you happy?" He was blubbering, "Is this entertaining for you? Yes, _fine!_ I'm not _normal._ I'll never _be_ normal! It's just as you said!" He laughed, wiping his face though it did nothing to stop the tears, "Are you disgusted? I ran because I like you. I left Shiroyama because I preferred you! Is that enough? Are you satisfied? With whatever," he motioned with his hands, inhaling far too quickly, "Whatever _game_ this was?"

Yuma just sighed, uncrossing his hands and letting them drop to his sides. "You really are dramatic."

And Edgar was about to start up all over again, but Yuma cut him off, reaching over to wipe his face.

"I like when you cry, you know? Is that fucked? But even this is too much, so stop."

"Wh-Who's fault is this!" Edgar tried to push him away, but Yuma had always been the stronger of the two.

"Probably yours," Yuma bent down, kissing him again as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "So fucking troublesome."

Edgar was too shocked to continue cry. Too shocked to do _anything_ really. "What the—" he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "F-Fuck you! You can't seriously expect me to—there's no way you're—you're not like me!"

"No," Yuma admitted, his features contorting pensively, with irritating calmness, "Probably something in between…"

"B-But Kiara—" Edgar stuttered, but was cut off again.

"It's like you said," Yuma explained with a sigh, "You're not your father. And Kiara…she isn't who I wanted her to be either."

Edgar swallowed thickly, whispering softly, "W-Who did you want her to be?"

Yuma smiled nostalgically. "Long time ago. There was someone else who used to call me Bear."

"And…" Edgar began hesitantly, feeling his head start to spin, "You loved them?"

Yuma burst out laughing at that, reaching out to ruffle Edgar's hair, the way he always did. "That's a hell of a strong word."

Edgar cleared his throat, feeling hopelessly ignorant. "Then…what about me?"

Yuma looked at him curiously. "You really broke it off with that Vibora guy?"

Edgar nodded sheepishly.

Yuma scoffed, smirking to himself. "Let's just go with, you don't piss me off as much as other people do."

Edgar tugged at his fingers, looking at the ground because he could feel his cheeks start to heat up. That was a stupid thing to be happy about. Because it wasn't even really an answer. And he _still_ didn't know how Yuma knew about him and Koichi. And this all seemed so surreal he wondered if maybe he was just having some sort of fever dream.

But, dream or not…

It was a start. And that was something...wasn't it?

…

Proper dinner meant proper attire.

Which meant Kiara would have preferred death. Because what genius decided that a woman should have her hair down when attending a dinner? Well, technically it was more of a half-up, half-down sort of thing, since Kiara was neither engaged nor married. When she was younger though, it always had to be completely down, held in place by maybe a bobby pin or a braid, and nothing more.

Always in her goddamn face.

She sighed, looking at herself in the mirror, the deep navy of her dress making her think that she looked the way her mother did in old pictures. Minus the hair, of course.

Navy really wasn't her color.

But she dealt with it anyway, and dealt with her hair, all the way through dinner, which really wasn't all that bad, Carla indulging her in some talk of composers, and even musing over his own art collection, which Kiara couldn't call boring in the least.

And before she knew it, it was time for dessert, Carla commenting on the fact that he thought she might enjoy this particular pastry, pouring a sweet wine into her glass.

"Have you enjoyed yourself this evening?"

Saying a flat out _yes_ was out of the question, but goddamn it felt nice to be treated like an actual _royal_ again. "It was quite pleasant," she patted her lips with the napkin, "Yes."

"As the wife of a Founder, you will continue to enjoy dinners such as these."

She nearly choked on her wine. "I beg your pardon?"

Carla glanced at her with all the boredom in the world, "Once you have been purified, and once your blood has healed me, we will be wed."

She slammed her glass down, "Excuse the _fuck_ me—"

Carla waved his hand, "You may continue your affair with my brother. That sort of thing does not interest me."

Kiara got dizzy. She wouldn't call it an _affair,_ exactly. But _like hell_ she was going to marry Carla fucking Tsukinami of all people. And where did he come off talking to her like that? As if was some sort of washed up _whore,_ "That's not—"

"You seem pale, Lady Sakamaki."

Was she? She could feel the goosebumps raising along her skin.

"I'd offer you my blood," Carla smiled, before taking a sip of his wine, "But I'm afraid that'd be disastrous for the both of us."

Kiara inhaled. She could handle this. She was Reiji Sakamaki's daughter. With a clear of her throat, she looked into golden eyes. "I am humbled by your proposal, Lord Tsukinami, but I'm afraid—"

"It is not a proposal." He said flatly, "I am simply informing you of what is to occur."

She furrowed her brow, puffing out her chest, "Denied."

"You're in no position to—"

"Like hell I am—"

"I was so very much hoping," Carla began with a sigh, wiping the edge of his lips with the napkin, "That you were acute enough to realize the obvious."

Kiara crinkled her features, "What do you mean?"

"Your blood will provide me a service. With this, I will repay a debt. In exchange for your blood, and in spirit of our union, I will allow your family to live."

It took all Kiara had not to _snort,_ "The Founders are nothing compared to how things were in those days. The Sakamaki—"

"The Sakamaki name was upheld by Karlheinz. The fear was maintained, by Karlheinz. In comparison, that father of yours has only ruled for a handful of years. It's not enough to develop the required loyalty. The best time for revolution, naturally, is now. This goes without saying, as I'm sure you know. If anything, Lady Sakamaki, it is your duty as Princess to unite the warring Kingdoms and maintain the peace, wouldn't you agree?"

Kiara's breath caught in her throat, seeing nothing but the cold merciless eyes that looked back at her.

"I will have your blood," he finished, "And you will be mine."

Kiara didn't remember excusing herself, but she must have, because Carla called after her, saying one thing or another, she didn't know, felt numb, a low ringing in her ears dulling her senses.

He was going to take her blood soon. And then he'd realize that she was not a demon. And once that happened…

Would he go after Eloise next? Would Shu simply send in an army? Kiara couldn't think. It wouldn't matter regardless. Because she wouldn't be alive to see it play out anyway.

She mentally slapped herself. No, that wasn't right. Papa had to have some sort of plan in motion. He always did. Unless she was supposed to do something? Had she missed any signs? Had he maybe sent a familiar and she'd been too busy fucking around to notice?

She had to escape. She couldn't wait anymore. Waiting would mean death. Like hell she was gonna die. She was a fucking _immortal._ Death wasn't in her goddamn vocabulary. She'd never even _considered_ something like that before. No. No, she wasn't going to. She refused. If Carla wanted a war then he could have it. His Endzeit would kill him soon enough anyway. He'd be the one to die. Not her.

Ok. She needed to think. She could probably get away with a letter. Papa had developed a shorthand for working with medicine. She was the only other one who knew how to read it. If she could get a hold of one of the Tsukinami familiars, and have it submit to her…it'd be risky but she had enough confidence in her powers of persuasion. Vampires were pretty good at it, after all.

She tugged at the handle of her bedroom door, thinking she could probably convince Shin to give her some paper—

How convenient, that the bastard was sitting on her bed.

"Hey asshole," somehow her rage always managed to burst when she was around him, "If you knew then why didn't you say anything? I don't wanna be some fucking trophy demon wife—"

He bit her. One of his harder bites, right on the edge of her neck, but the way he held her head made it feel strange, his other arm around her waist so she couldn't move, her cold blood rushing to his fangs.

She didn't want to admit she was wincing. "Hey, Shin—"

He sucked harder, and she bit back a groan, "Shin," she tried to push him, "Ok, fine, I get it. Hey! Fucker that _hurts—"_

He pulled away, only to bite her again, creating a new mark, Kiara still trying to push him off but his grip not letting her, their legs tangling over each other enough to where they both fell, Kiara's back against the bed and Shin's fangs ripping across her skin.

He mumbled.

"What?" The pain made her head pound, fueling her anger.

"WHY IS YOUR HAIR DOWN?"

She froze, but she was shaking at the same time, Shin's expression sort of scary, but not, exactly, his glasses sliding down his nose, his fangs dripping with her blood.

"My…" she didn't even realize she was whispering, "It was a formal…I…"

Shin let his body drop, latching onto the other side of her neck, not quite biting, but hooking his fangs in possession regardless.

And Kiara began to shake again, hands wrapping around his back of their own accord, curling into fists around his shirt, "Hey…" she swallowed, feeling the stinging pricks of tears welling up behind her eyes, "I'm gonna die…aren't I?"

He tugged at her hair, to hide the fact that he'd really just closed his fist around it, his other arm still wrapped tightly against her waist.

"Yeah," he breathed, his fangs trembling against her neck, "Probably."


	16. Chapter 16

Yuma just kept on... _kissing_ him. Short pecks, every now and again, that always managed to catch Edgar off guard, no matter how frequent. As if Yuma were a child sampling a new candy, before deciding whether or not to eat the whole thing.

Edgar wasn't sure if he wanted to be eaten or not.

"Please stop."

Yuma looked at him, before crinkling his features. "Why?"

Edgar cleared his throat. "Just…"

"Embarrassed?" Yuma leaned in, grinning wildly.

Edgar frowned, ignoring him and continuing to walk in silence. Yuma was always so bold about everything. To Egar, this was all still so surreal. At the very least, Yuma could take his feelings into consideration. To slow down, and not be so much of a _brute…_

But Edgar knew that already. Knew that Yuma was completely oblivious to most things. Which was why, with something like this, to happen in such a spur of a simple moment…

The young prince fidgeted, exhaling shakily. Wasn't Yuma just testing his curiosity? And if that's all it was, then wasn't this all essentially meaningless?

Maybe…he never should have followed to begin with…

His thoughts were interrupted, Yuma leaning in again, lips against Edgar's pale cheeks.

He'd had enough.

"Would you just stop that! We have more important things to worry about—!"

" _You're_ the one that confessed," Yuma reminded, "I'm just—"

"Well then I take it back! Try and act seriously!"

"I am serious."

"Hardly! Think of Kiara! We don't know the extent of Carla's magic. And his brother is _known_ for war—"

"I've been in war too. That's not—"

"What are _you_ compared to a Founder!" As the words spilled past his lips Edgar brought his palm over his mouth, immediately regretting it. He'd let his emotions get the best of him. _Again._ "I'm sorry, I didn't—not like that but—their blood is different—"

"I get it."

"Yuma—"

He didn't turn back around. Continued on, feet heavy against the ground. Edgar's heart raced in panic. It wasn't like Yuma to be that serious, so suddenly. Had he truly offended him? But that would be ridiculous, for someone like Yuma. Because Edgar didn't really mean it like that. Just in the sense that the Founders, if they wanted—if Yuma went in too strong too fast, then he might truly be in danger but..

Had Edgar ruined everything before it'd even begun?

"Yuma!" He tried, a bit more desperately, lunging forward to catch up to him.

Yuma silenced him, and the moment he got up to the top of the hill, Edgar understood perfectly. The strain in Yuma's voice, his sudden perfect-posture, the protective hand that'd swung out, preventing Edgar from going any further.

It was darker than he'd imagined it to be. "Yuma…"

"Sure is something."

"Do you think—"

"You know her scent more than anyone else don't you? We're not gonna have time to—"

"I can do it."

"Once we get in, you stay behind me, got it?"

"I'll—"

"Edgar."

 _"Yuma._ "

Yuma smiled, ruffling up Edgar's hair. "Alright, alright. _My lord,"_ he added with pompous sarcasm, going so far as to _bow_ , "May I present to you: Tsukinami Castle."

…

To a certain extent, it was disgusting. Because they both knew well enough. But neither of them said anything. She sure as hell wasn't going to. Not when he'd gone so far as to offer. If one could even call it an offer. But she took it anyway, so...

_I'm gonna fuck you 'til you cry._

Did it matter, that she had already been crying when he said so?

But he didn't say anything more than that, so neither did she. And somehow, that seemed to be enough.

It was _more_ than enough, actually, even now, in the empty silence of the room, nothing but the thin sheets between them. Kiara pushed her hair out of her face, the strands curling down her back because he'd undone the whole damn bun.

"You look stupid with your eyes all red like that."

"Shut the fuck up." She meant it to be a lot stronger than that, but it ended up as a simple murmur, and so Kiara wrapped the covers all the tighter, feeling a numbing ache around her entire body.

"You still haven't told me," Shin said, propping his head up on his arm, the covers sliding down to reveal his torso, "What would you do?"

Kiara turned her head into the pillow, letting out a soft sigh while she thought. "I want to read Dostoyevsky in Russian."

Shin blinked, waiting for her to make a joke out of it.

She didn't.

"What the fuck?" He made a face, "That's lame as hell."

"No it's not!"

"You're gonna die and that's the last thing you want?"

"I don't know any Russian yet! And Dostoyevsky—"

"Geez talk about a fucking waste—"

She puffed her cheeks, flicking his forehead with her nail. "It's not a waste."

He flicked her back. "Pick something better." He insisted.

Kiara sighed. "Well…I guess…if it could be anything…" she mumbled to herself, popping her head out, "A rollercoaster..."

"A rollercoaster?"

She nodded.

He laughed. She smacked him with the pillow. "Better than anything you came up with."

"Come on Sampson, the answer here is obvious."

Kiara pursed her lips. "Because you know me so well."

"If you're gonna die," he grinned, sliding in closer, "Of course you'd want one more round with Shin-sam-"

She shoved the pillow in his face, laughing. "The day I add a _sama_ to your name I _hope_ I die."

He grabbed a pillow of his own, hitting her upside the head before trying to suffocate her.

She bit his finger.

"Ow! You little bit—"

"You know," she propped herself up on her elbows, breasts pressing into the pillow, Kiara staring aimlessly into the headboard, "If I marry Carla, I'd be above you."

He snickered, "Like that'll happen."

"It could."

"He'd kill you first."

"I said _if_ —"

" _If_ won't get you anywhere."

She swallowed, before clearing her throat, and lowering her eyes. That was something she knew that well enough on her own.

With dramatic annoyance, she flopped, hair falling over her face as she landed smack in the middle of Shin's chest.

"The fuck are you—"

"How come Founders are so warm?"

He said nothing, for a while, though his arms had managed to weave themselves around her back.

"We're ancestors," He argued, as if that were enough. "Why are vampires so fucking cold?"

Now it was her turn to pause. For so long, in fact, that he thought she'd fallen asleep. But finally she spoke up, in a soft voice that he'd never really heard from her before.

"Do you hate it?"

Shin's eyes widened, before he scoffed, sounding more tired than anything else. "Obviously."

Maybe it was the drag of his voice, or the warmth of his arms, but suddenly, Kiara felt tired too; the million thoughts that had been rushing through her mind, slowing to just one.

Eloise had always had warm hands, hadn't she?

…

Naturally, Eloise knew quite a bit about the Tsukinamis. Aunt Reina was a very thorough teacher.

There was Carla, the oldest, a very regal looking man with sharp eyes, and Shin, who was the more scraggly of the two, but that seemed to be the case with most younger siblings.

More importantly, as a Founder, Carla could wield magic. Which, of course, made him a bit of a threat.

The 'bit' being an understatement.

Which somehow or another led to their imprisonment. She couldn't recall exactly, but with Karlheinz, things always seemed to contain the most blurred of lines.

Shiroyama continued on and on about how horrible they were, to have kidnapped Kiara, to be doing what they're doing, to have attacked the palace the way they did. But Eloise couldn't come to that conclusion. More than anything else, to her, it was just...

Sad.

For someone as powerful as Carla Tsukinami to have to go to such lengths…

Eloise didn't know very much about Endzeit. Didn't know much about her own blood's ability to stop said disease. But she had already made up her mind, that if it meant saving Kiara, or saving Edgar, then she'd give up as much blood as necessary. And while she didn't know to what extent Endzeit overtook one's body, she did know that the pain was excruciating.

And no one, not even Carla Tsukinami deserved that. Even if everything Shiroyama was saying was true.

Regardless, of course, no matter what happened, there would be quite a storm once they all got back. She hoped her father wouldn't be too terribly cross with them. Well, her parents would probably be more lenient. Kiara would be sure to receive quite a punishment, Eloise was sure. Uncle Reiji could be horribly strict at the absolute worst moments.

Lost in thought like this, it was nice, not having to listen to Shiroyama for a time, but she soon realized he had addressed a question to her. Eloise mentally scolded herself, thinking she shouldn't have gone so far as to ignore him so blatantly. It was rude, after all.

But from what she'd gathered, he was still giving his speech about the dreadful Tsukinamis.

"I'm sure…after everything that's happened" she began slowly, "…well, from what you've told me—"

"Don't try and justify their actions, My Lady."

"Oh," Eloise's eyes widened, "I wasn't—"

"They disrespected our Queen. He didn't get half of what he deserved."

Eloise's eyes widened. If he was speaking in the past tense, then Shiroyama was probably referencing what happened with the Vibora clan, all those years ago.

"Young royals always seem to be a bit hot-headed," she tried, "And they were quite young at the time—"

"That's hardly an excuse," Shiroyama continued, sticking his chin up proudly, "Edgar is nothing like that, and he's younger than the Founders."

Eloise smiled weakly. She was getting rather tired of hearing Edgar's name. "Yes, well. Edgar is a bit of an exception."

Koichi's eyes shined with what Eloise could only guess to be love, "He is, isn't he?"

Eloise smiled again, though really the action was becoming rather forced. She was starting to understand why her brother didn't take Koichi with him.

Perhaps he needed to breathe.

…

He couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure _why,_ exactly, though he was blaming it on the fact that Kiara snored. That, the fact that she'd managed to drool all over her hand, which meant that by association, his chest fell victim too.

And it was gross.

But he couldn't bring himself to rip his arm out from under her either.

Maybe he really _was_ tired.

She was a lot easier to read when she was sleeping like this. The crinkles around her forehead were flattened out, which was a nice change, since she was always fucking yelling about _something_ or other, going off in that nasally-ass voice of hers...

She looked sort of small, like this. She had a tendency to curl up as much as possible when she slept. Even her hands were balled into fists, clinging to his chest despite there being nothing to hold on to.

It didn't suit her.

He slid a finger down her spine. The skin was cold. She shivered. So he did it again, more slowly this time, pressing his finger into that one little spot—

She murmured, curling into him more.

There it was.

"Shi…nmm…"

He watched her face, as she sort of frowned but not really, nuzzling and then relaxing again, returning to her usual snores.

And suddenly his chest clenched. Because this almost felt _too_ normal, didn't it? Since when had she started sleeping in his room? Leaving her goddamn hair all over the place. Sleeping on his goddamn _chest_ with such a relaxed face, sheets draped all over her curves and making them smell like…

This whole thing was all his own goddamn fault.

"Stupid…" he murmured, rolling patterns into her skin, "I could kill you, right now."

But Kiara continued to snore, and Shin continued to think, which was something he wasn't a huge fan of in the first place, thoughts spinning in his head with no real direction.

This wasn't going to end well. He needed some sort of leverage. An excuse, a threat. Anything.

Because once Carla decided to bite…

What the fuck what he supposed to do?


	17. Chapter 17

He really had the nerve to pull her from her piano playing. But either one, piano playing or dueling, Kiara figured both were relieved the same amount of stress. Especially now that she could actually keep up with him. And she had just finished redoing her hair, reaching out for her usual sword, when he stopped her.

Before she even realized what he was doing, he had clicked the belt around her waist, and was offering her a rapier that was more suited for a renaissance fair. She twirled it in her hands, commenting on the intricate markings of the handle.

"It's silver," she said, still twirling, "Isn't it?"

"Back in the sheath, Sampson." He said, taking it from her and sliding it back in its hold, so that it rested by Kiara's left side.

"Real deal then?" She asked curiously.

"This'll be our last duel." Shin responded seriously, preparing his own sword.

Kiara inhaled but said nothing, distancing herself from him the way she'd been taught, feeling like a royal guard with the proper scabbard and everything. She practiced pulling the sword out, and then putting it back in.

"Oy!"

Shin called out to her, and her head shot up, Kiara clearing her throat before taking another inhale, clearing her mind.

Shin drew out his sword, holding it at his chest, the blade cutting through the middle of his face. Kiara mimicked his motions, holding the sword out in front of her, just between her eyes.

"Shall I set the terms?" He suggested, rather formally.

"By all means," she returned.

"Then," Shin said, holding the sword firm, "To the draw of blood."

"Not to the death?"

"Don't tempt me, Sampson."

He wasn't cussing. And his speech was too formal for her liking. It made her nervous.

"Then," she said, nodding her head, "To the draw of blood."

As she said so, both swiped their swords down to the right, solidifying the fact. The one challenged was granted initiative, and so with Kiara's first step forward, the duel began.

It wasn't any different from the other ones they'd done. Step here, dodge there, swipe swiftly and never allow your toes to touch the same spot twice. Rather than Kiara receiving the majority of the hits, the way it had been in the beginning, it was now her sword that met Shin's blade, the clash of their metal echoing in the room.

It was easier, now. Maybe due to muscle memory. Because it almost felt like they were dancing, the synchronization of their steps accompanied by the metallic rings that burst from their swords each time the blades kissed.

And they had just finished warming up, just about to get into the more serious offenses, when Shin stopped, turning to look at the door. It was only then that Kiara realized Carla had been watching them.

Shin let his sword hand at his side.

"Nii-san."

"Pardon the intrusion."

Kiara put her sword back in its sheath, feeling the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

"Do you need something?" Shin said.

"It's time." Carla said simply.

Kiara didn't need to ask what he meant.

Shin swiped his sword, as if denying the fact, "She's not completely purified yet. Even you know it takes-"

"It is enough for it to be effective."

"Actually," Kiara said honestly, unable to help herself, "That could lead to some serious complications. Incompatibility in the blood could result in null, and impurities could put you at further risk, speeding up the effects of-"

She didn't realize how close Carla had gotten, while she'd been blabbing away. He lowered his scarf with a single digit, smirking at her. "I've waited long enough, Lady Sakamaki."

"Wait—"

He took a generous amount, the sting sharper than what she was used to, her heart beating fast with destined doom.

Carla stiffened, and she _knew,_ because how could _he_ not, her blood just as vampiric as it had always been, and Carla straightened, pulling away slower than she had expected him to, but eyeing her with the exact gaze she had imagined. Only this was worse. Because he was smiling.

"Vampire."

She hardly had the chance to gasp, Shin yelling at him to _wait_ but something happened, Kiara didn't know _what,_ exactly, but Shin was thrown against the wall, and she herself was lifted off the ground, Carla's fingers wrapped around her neck. If he was this strong, stronger than _Shin,_ even, when he was supposed to be at his weakest—

"You _dare_ make a fool of me?"

Kiara was coughing, scratching at his hand, kicking her legs to no avail, desperately trying to get air into her lungs. Part of her knew that panicking would get her nowhere, that if she could just take a moment to _think_ then maybe she'd be able to escape, but with Carla's grip tightening, and his eyes growing darker by the second, this was not the time to be calm.

She was going to die.

She was going to die and she'd never gotten to—

Air filled her lungs suddenly, and was again robbed, knocked out of her body as her chest hit the ground, another heavy _thud_ letting her know Carla had probably hit the ground at well. She struggled to sit up, instinct screaming at her to _get on her feet,_ and once she'd finally gotten enough sense to _see,_ she realized Shin was in his wolf form, Carla slowly picking himself off the ground.

"So this is what you have chosen," Carla said, slowly spreading out his arms, "How disappointing."

Shin said nothing, but charged for him again, Carla turning into a wolf himself, just before hitting the ground. The two rolled over each other, eliciting sharp bites and heavy blows, the ground no doubt making for some decent bruises.

And Kiara could do nothing but watch, frozen lamely with fear, her feet refusing to move. She could leave. Escape, if she just ran. If she ran she could get far enough. Neither were paying her any attention. And yet—

Her heart caught in her throat, every time the red wolf was beneath the white one, subject to it's claws and fangs, because at this rate, if it continued—

Her hand gripped at her sword. But what could she do? If she got in the middle she might hit Shin. And if that happened…

The room fell into foreign silence, when Shin broke away just then, both wolves facing each other dead on, unmoving. And for a moment, Kiara wondered if they were somehow communicating. Because Carla snarled, baring his teeth in what looked like a warning, but Shin raised his head, letting out a snarl of his own. Carla let out another warning, Shin not budging, and so the alpha growled, about to pounce, and if Shin didn't move _right now_ then—

Kiara nearly screamed, put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from doing so, Shin spared by the edge of a moment, circling around and slashing Carla across the face with his claws, both of them tumbling to the ground again, biting and bloodied, rolling to the point where they hit the edge of the wall, panting and exhausted.

Carla was the first to change back.

Shin stayed as he was for a moment, catching his breath, staring at his brother with empty eyes. Kiara reached out, but then quickly pulled her hand back in, thinking that now would probably be the absolute _worst_ time to interfere.

It wasn't like she could move, in any case. Because for some reason, she didn't know, something kept her feet planted on the ground, watching as Shin changed back slowly, standing over his coughing brother.

"Nii-san," he crouched down, wiping the blood from his own mouth, "You ok?"

Carla chuckled deeply, rolling onto his side, "All of this," his speech was labored, "For a _woman…"_

"Nii-san…" he repeated, offering his hand.

Carla coughed, spitting up blood over Shin's wounds.

And he laughed.

"Fate can be a cruel thing…" Carla wheezed, before his eyes closed, Shin staring at his arm in horror.

This wasn't…this couldn't…

He watched his brother's blood mix with his own, the pink of the Endzeit oozing with his untainted red.

"No…"

Kiara came to her senses, rushing for him, having seen everything, her mind going in about a million directions all at once, "SHIN!"

He didn't hear her. Knew she had said something. But couldn't…

Kiara was pulling on him, was yelling at him about _something_ but his ears had gone numb, and he couldn't hear anything, nothing but a high pitched _screech_ that was never ending, like the day his mother had—

"Shin! Are you listening? We have to—"

"And just what the fuck can we do about it?" He pushed her away, nearly knocking her to the ground, everything suddenly clear, or maybe _too_ clear, because if he had never…if _she_ —

"It's over. Endzeit doesn't—"

"It hasn't circulated into your blood stream yet," Kiara spoke quickly, tripping over her words, "It'll take a while before it does, well not that much, but if—I can suck it out—"

"Are you a fucking idiot? You'd get infected you fucking dumbass—"

Kiara's mind raced, Papa's voice in her head listing about a million and one chemicals, all of which were of no use to her, because it's not like the Tsukinamis had anything that potent just lying around, especially if one considered—

Unless.

Yes, if it were undiluted, then…

"Liquor…"

"What?"

"Demon Liquor," she repeated, looking around the room as if that would help, her hands moving in random patterns, as though she were physically organizing her thoughts.

"I guess I could go for a drink…" Shin began.

"No!" Kiara grabbed his arm, desperately scanning his face, "Do you have any? You guys have to have some!"

"There's wine…?" His confusion painfully obvious, Kiara starting to get frustrated. They didn't have time.

She shook her head, thoughts still spinning, trying to get him to understand. "They're two different things. Demon Liquor is about three times as strong as Demon Wine, and six times as strong as Vampire Juice, so it'll for sure kill off anything—"

"Sampson, what're you getting at—"

"If I rinse out my mouth, it'll act as a temporary barrier—"

"What if it doesn't—"

"We don't really have a choice right now."

He stared at her hard. Choice? Did he have that luxury?

"Shin!" She didn't let him think, "This is not the fucking time!"

"In the parlor," he answered, almost automatically, "That's where Carla keeps the old stuff."

Kiara took off, Shin following close behind.

"Whatever you do, don't shift. It'll increase your blood flow, thereby quickening the rate at which—"

"Got it, Sampson."

The tumbled into each other as they staggered through the door, Kiara fumbling into the cabinet when she tried to pull the doors open.

"It's locked," she struggled, tugging at the cabinet handles and shaking the doors.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Shin smashed his hand through the glass, not seeming to give a _damn,_ pulling out the bottle with him. He turned to Kiara, offering it to her. "Will this work?"

Kiara took it in her hands, checking the bottle over in search of the appropriate numbers. "Should," she said, dragging her finger down the label.

Shin nodded.

She popped off the top, downing a few gulps before rinsing her mouth with it, and then swallowing that too. "It'll be fine. So long as I don't drink any of your blood."

"Then for once in your life Sampson, don't fucking swallow."

There was a lull in the tension filled anxiety, Kiara not knowing if she should laugh or hit him or _what,_ but she was grateful either way, the small bit of humor letting her think clearly for a few seconds.

It didn't stop her from glaring at him, though.

Without wasting anymore time, she licked her lips, the liquor burning her mouth, a sharp inhale on Kiara's tongue rushing past her lips when she took a hold of Shin's arm.

Her hands shook.

"Hey…" Shin said slowly. Softly. It didn't suit him. "If—"

"It'll work—"

"Kiara."

Her head shot up. That was…the first time…

"If I d—"

"You know," she gripped his hand, bringing it to her mouth, "I fucking _hope_ this doesn't work. Cuz you're the fucking most annoying piece of shit bastard I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. So fuck you, Tsukinami." And with that she bit down, not letting him say anything else, spitting the blood onto the floor after every two gulps. It was as much as she could take without running the risk of ingesting any.

Shin scoffed, "And you thought you'd die. At this rate you're gonna be the only one who lives—"

"Shut the fuck up," she spat again, "And tell me when you feel light headed."

"Sampson—"

She bit again, ignoring him, not really wanting him speak, because it didn't suit him, talking like that. She grabbed the liquor again, rinsing her mouth, spitting out more blood, rinsing a second time for good measure, and bit again.

When she spit out that time, Shin held up his hand, his breathing labored. "I think…that's…"

"One more," Kiara said, "And then I'll stop."

He nodded, letting her take the last gulp of blood before she spat it all out, the red staining the carpet beneath them.

"Don't swallow."

"I _know._ " She took another swig, letting the liquor burn the inside of her mouth.

Shin laughed, "Just wanted to say it."

She punched his chest, and then wiped her mouth, grabbing a new bottle and taking extra care to make sure there were no stray drops of blood anywhere.

"Ok," she said, offering her arm, "Now you drink."

"What?"

She shook her hand, "I just took about half your blood. You're gonna pass out—"

"I'll be fine—"

"Shin—"

"Your blood tastes like shit, Sampson—"

"That's not my fucking problem!"

He glared at her, before grabbing her wrist and bringing it too his mouth, "Fucking pushy today…"

Maybe it was because Carla's bite had been so painful. Or maybe it was due to the fact that she'd nearly taken all of his blood. Because his bite felt weaker than usual.

But…the blood on the carpet was still red. There weren't very many pink hues at all. Which was a good thing. If that's how it was then maybe she'd stopped it in time. She swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling the urge to rest her hand on his head while he drank, as if she needed to know for sure that he was really there.

He hadn't taken very much, Kiara's blood rushing to his fangs, when there was a large crash, and both pulled away, flinching.

That is, almost pulling away. Shin hadn't let go of her arm. "What the fuck was—"

"Yuma! In there!" A familiar voice came from behind the door.

Kiara's eyes widened, before her features twisted in confusion. "Edgar?"

"The fuck is Ed—"

The doors burst open, Yuma having kicked them down, but neither of them had the chance to process any of that, because Edgar jumped out from behind Yuma, spreading his arms out wide.

"Kiki!"

"Edgar!"

And he was about to run for her, but Yuma beat him to it, giving Shin a solid punch to the gut.

"Yuma!" Kiara screamed.

"Kiki!" Edgar rushed up to her, his eyes widening with horror, "All this blood…"

"It's not—"

Yuma picked her up, telling Edgar to stay close, and to be quiet—

"Yuma put me the fuck down!"

"No can do, Princess. By order of the King—"

"Oy." Shin had gotten back up, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, spitting to the side. "How about you don't touch what isn't yours, Half-Blood."

Yuma glared at the Founder, reaching with his other hand to push Edgar behind him. "And how about you fuck off?"

"We won't let him hurt you anymore." Edgar encouraged, the sweetness in his voice somewhat nauseating, considering the current situation. So Kiara did the only thing she could think of at the moment. She'd tugged sharply at Yuma's hair, making his head toss back. It was enough of a distraction for her to jump down.

"Kiara what the fu—!"

"Kiki! What are you doing?"

"Honestly Edgar, it's a long fucking story." She didn't bother to look at him, offering Shin her arm again, but rather than bite from there, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her back and sucking from her neck.

"Bastard." She exhaled, rolling her eyes, "Are you seriously—"

"Kiki! Why are you—you've already lost too much—"

Kiara winced, remembering the blood on the floor. "That's his. Not mine." She motioned with her fingers.

"Oy," Yuma pulled her, Shin's fangs dragging down her skin as it happened. She cried out in pain. "Yuma what the fuck are you—"

"Someone needs to fucking explain what the exact _fuck_ is going on. We need to get out of here before—"

"Ok, stop talking." Kiara held up her hand, not bothering to hide her irritation, "They fought, Shin got infected, so I sucked out his blood to stop the Endzeit from spreading."

Edgar screeched, "You infected yourself to save—"

"Um," she made a face, "No offense Edgar, but blood and disease isn't exactly your thing. I'm not an idiot—"

"But Endzeit can't be cured—"

"It can be prevented," Kiara said, "Which is why—"

"Why risk it for a guy like this?" Yuma hadn't stopped glaring at Shin.

"Oafs like you shouldn't be allowed to speak." Shin spat coldly, palming his sword.

"You can't talk to him that way!" Edgar jumped in front, and Kiara widened her eyes.

"Ok, forget all that," she said, shaking her head, "Just all of us need to shut the fuck up for two seconds. What the hell are we gonna do?"

Edgar swallowed, grabbing at Kiara's arm, "We need to get out before Carla finds out—"

"That guy won't be bothering us," Shin said, "He—"

"Bother or not, we need to leave," Yuma insisted, "Kiara. Let's go."

She inhaled, suddenly incredibly anxious, her pulse spiking. She turned back to look at Shin, about to say—

"Oy. Let's go. When's the last time you needed permission for anything? The hell kind of brainwashing—"

Edgar tugged at her sleeve shyly, "Come on, Kiara. Auntie's worried."

She blinked. "Mom?"

There was a struggle with the door, everyone in the room turning to see Carla sliding down the frame, still bleeding and short of breath. Kiara felt shivers run down her spine upon seeing him in such a pathetic state. He must have used the last of his magic to teleport here.

"Shin…" he gripped at his stomach, "Vibora…"

Kiara felt a momentary shock, her heart racing as she looked at Shin. He had a scary expression.

Yuma stiffened, "If the other clans are gonna attack then we _really_ need to—"

Kiara grabbed Shin by the collar, snapping him out of his trance, "What the fuck did you do to piss off the Viboras, huh? Isn't it bad enough we had to go through all this shit today—"

"Who do you think you're talking to Sampson—"

"Kiara, forget him and let's _go—"_

"It's not the whole clan!" Edgar shouted, his own voice shaking, his body even more so.

Everyone stopped, looking at the trembling blonde. He was sickly pale.

"Edgar…" Kiara swallowed, not really needing to finish her question.

"I can smell it," he fidgeted, "I mean, it's him…"

"Who is?" Shin looked at Kiara, confused on more things than just this.

It was Yuma who answered though, face dark and eyes black, voice deep and rumbling with disdain.

"Shiroyama."


	18. Chapter 18

"You freaking brought Koichi into this?"

"No!" Edgar held up his hands defensively, Kiara still managing to frighten him more than anyone else, "He must have followed—"

"Will someone please explain," Shin began in a calm voice, "What the FUCK is going on?"

"How slow are you?" Yuma jabbed.

Kiara sighed, rubbing her temple, before pointing at Edgar. "Shiroyama Koichi is the official royal guard to the future king. But he's also—"

"Technically, I'm no longer next in line."

Kiara nearly choked. "What?"

"Long story," Yuma cut in, "Honestly it's been a clusterfuck since you were kidnapped."

"Wait, wait," Kiara began, "If we're all here, then where did you leave Eloise—"

The doors were burst through again, rather forcefully, a sharp _Edgar!_ sung from Koichi's mouth as he ran up to the prince, wrapping his arms around him and pressing their lips together in an embrace.

Eloise came up right behind, but it was rather difficult to be noticed behind such a spectacle.

"What the hell kind of gay ass shit—"

"K-Koichi—" Edgar stammered, before separating himself from the swordsman, "Why—"

"We have to hurry, My Lord, before—"

"Kiki!" By now, Eloise had run up to Kiara to give her own embrace, practically falling on the older vampire, "I'm so glad you're ok! We were all so deathly afraid! You scared Auntie half out of—"

Again, only someone like Eloise could use the phrase _deathly afraid_ in a sentence and have it sound natural.

"Sampson." Shin was out of patience.

Kiara sighed, before taking in a large inhale, and pointing to Eloise, "Youngest cousin," then, pointing to the others, "Gardener-slash-family friend, Older Cousin, Older Cousin's boyfriend."

"That's not—" Edgar sputtered, "I mean we're not—how did you—"

Kiara rolled her eyes, but Koichi giggled and answered for her, inching closer to the prince, "You're too loud, My Lord—"

"Boyfriend, huh?" Yuma glanced at them, at Koichi who hadn't let go of Edgar's hand, and Edgar immediately pulled his hands away, bringing them up and shaking them in response. "Yuma! We're not—I mean Koichi and I aren't—"

"It's fine, Onii-chan!" Eloise chirped, "We all support you!"

Kiara crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "I don't—"

"No we're not together. Koichi, I told you before—"

"That was the heat of the moment," Koichi smiled understandingly, "The castle had just been raided. Of course you would—"

"No," Edgar took a step back, "I meant what I said. I don't want to see you anymore."

Shiroyama didn't stop smiling, a smile that was perhaps too sweet, "My Lord," he took a step forward, reaching out for Edgar's hand, "What are you saying—"

Both Kiara and Yuma stepped up at the same time, Yuma pulling the prince behind him and Kiara standing in front of Koichi.

"Like he said. Back off."

"Be that as it may," Shiroyama said, "Relationship or not, I've been sworn to protect him. It's my _duty_ —"

"I'm no longer the future king. Your duty is to Eloise, now."

"Oy, Sampson—"

"I refuse to accept that," Koichi held out his hand, ignoring everyone and looking only at Edgar, "My Lord, please—"

"SAMPSON!"

Kiara nearly _growled._ " _What_ goddamnit can't you see—"

"Carla." Shin said simply. "He's gone."

Kiara turned to look at him, swallowing thickly and then looking about the room, not finding a trace of the Founder King anywhere.

"What…"

"And the little demon of yours too."

Kiara's blood spiked in panic, looking around the room, not wanting to believe Shin's words.

Fucking hell.

She yelled at Yuma to take care of Edgar, because she was going to find Eloise, but when she tried to run off, Shin held her back, baring his fangs.

"You got bigger things to worry about."

"What are you—"

"Carla can't do anything to her right now. You saw the state he's in."

"That doesn't mean anything. If he's strong enough to teleport then—"

"That Vibora isn't playing games—"

"Yuma can _handle_ it—"

"You trust a fucking half-blood—"

"More than I trust—"

She never got to finish, turning her head to Edgar's screams, Shiroyama's sword slicing the palm of Yuma's hand in an attempt to protect his face.

"Give him back, Gardener." Koichi demanded, swirling the sword around in his hand.

"Koichi! Don't—"

"My dearest Edgar," Koichi began, sword shaking slightly as he addressed him directly, "Won't you come by my side?"

Edgar took a hesitant step from behind Yuma, so that he could stand next to him instead. In a shaky voice, he began, "I'll stand by what I said to you earlier, Koichi. A-And I…I do thank you, for everything. But I'm happy, now…"

Koichi began to laugh, not lowering the sword. "Happy? Is that so? With him?"

"With myself," Edgar cleared his throat, "And…with him…"

"Edgar," Koichi shook his head sympathetically, "My darling Edgar. He's fooled you."

By the cabinet, Shin tugged at Kiara's shirt, breathing in her ear. "If the half-blood doesn't do something I'll—"

She shook her head, the look in her eyes urging him not to interrupt. Mostly because she wasn't sure what was happening herself. But she didn't like the vibes she was getting from Edgar. It made her tighten her grip against her sword.

"No one's fooled anyone," Yuma said, "You're the one filling his head with shit."

"So vulgar," Koichi drawled out in offense, before smirking, "But that's expected of a half-blood like yourself. You're nothing like us, in any sense of the phrase."

"My money's on the Snake," Shin whispered, "The big guy looks too slow—"

Kiara hissed at him to _shut up,_ but it didn't matter, because with the tension between Yuma and Shiroyama, nothing would be enough to break through it.

"Koichi," Edgar implored, "Please put the sword down."

The vibora smiled, "No."

Yuma clenched his fists. "Get a fucking hint, Shiroyama. He's not going with you."

"The prince," he said easily, "Is mine to protect."

"Then he's mine to protect from you," Yuma shot right back.

Koichi's eyes sharpened like daggers, his smile falling off his face as he shot forward, slashing his sword down, Yuma raising his arm to block the blow, Edgar letting out another scream.

But the sword never hit it's target, instead scraping down Kiara's rapier, before she managed to push Koichi back.

"Kiara—!"

"Oh my," Koichi looked taken aback, and with certain innocence said, "My Lady, I'd hate if you were injured. You're quite precious to Edgar."

"I don't give a fuck Koichi you're fucking psycho in the head," Kiara blurted, heart racing from the sudden movement. Then, turning to Edgar, "See? If you would've just _told_ me then I could've told you that your boyfriend was a fucking—"

Koichi laughed freely. "I understand now…"

Kiara tightened her grip on the handle.

"Edgar, my love," he held his palm out, motioning to the prince, "You've been deceived by those closest to you."

Kiara narrowed her eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"How _did_ you know about the prince and myself?" Shiroyama smiled, "Was it not because, you were, in fact, engaging in something similar, the night of Her Highness's coming of age?"

"Yeap. You're definitely crazy—"

"And was it not," Koichi continued, "With the very man who you so desperately protected, just now?"

Kiara said nothing, her muscles stiffening.

"Kiara?" Edgar called from behind, his voice trembling, "What does he mean?"

And for a moment Kiara's mind blurred with a blinding white, trying to figure out how she could explain when things were like this, and without—

"OY SAMPSON!"

Everyone seemed to jump, turning to look at the yelling Founder.

"I'm getting fucking tired of this shit."

"Kindly stay out of this—" Shiroyama tried, but was interrupted again—

"Either you kill him," Shin said, reaching for his own sword, "Or I will."

Kiara glanced from Shin to Koichi, making up her mind. "Shiroyama—"

The swordsman cackled, practically holding onto his stomach. "Are you sure? I'm a _royal guard._ "

Kiara stood up a little taller, taking her stance, "Try me."

That was the end of Koichi's laughter, as he took on his own stance, reading his sword. "Edgar," he called, "I do apologize, but this is absolutely necessary, if we are to be together. To the end of time, just like we promised."

Edgar screeched at Kiara, Yuma yelling at her to not be so fucking cocky, but Shin held them both back, the duel already beginning.

"Are you crazy? His sword is silver! If he-"

"So is hers," Shin said, watching intently.

"She's never used a sword in her goddamn life," Yuma growled, "Believe me, I've tried-"

"She'll die," Edgar pleaded, "You can't-"

"She'll be fine," Shin smirked, slowly crossing his arms, not once breaking his gaze from her, as she took her stance, "She's a Sampson."

Edgar's eyes widened in realization, but Yumas only crinkled in confusion. "The fuck is that supposed to—"

"That's got nothing to do with it!" Edgar argued, "She's never trained!"

"If you weren't fucking abnormal then she wouldn't have to duel this fucking bastard—"

"Oy," Yuma loomed over him, "The fuck do you mean _abnormal—"_

"Tsukinami-san," Edgar implored, "Just because she's a—"

"It's in her blood." Shin said simply.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Yuma spat out.

"Her grandfather," Shin added darkly, "Was the best swordsman in the demon world."

"Well what the fuck does that have to do with Kiara? Famous relative or not that doesn't change the fact that she's never—"

There was a heavy clash of swords, the metal ringing in the small room, Kiara striking at Koichi.

And suddenly, Edgar came to realization. "Yuma, where's Eloise?"

Shin glanced at them briefly, chuckling and shaking his head, before returning his attention to Kiara. "Vampires really are as dense as they say."

Edgar made a questioning sound, but it was outdone by Kiara's vulgar _fuck!_ the metal clanging together once again.

Shiroyama was a formidable opponent, Kiara would give him that much. His footwork was somewhat unpredictable, but that just made his attacks all the more predictable, if that made any sense. There were only so many ways you could swing the sword if your feet were constantly moving in deranged circles.

"You are quick, My Lady. But nothing will keep me from Edgar."

"Do you realize how creepy you sound?" She grunted, his sword pushing against hers, Kiara sliding out at the last moment.

"We're soulmates!" Koichi insisted, "That's something someone like you will never understand!"

"Fucking hope not," Kiara muttered under her breath.

He was pretty strong, and naturally skilled, but she knew that after a little bit of observation, she'd get the upper hand. Because although it was true that she was not formally trained, nor had she battled anyone save for Shin, that was exactly the sort of thing that gave her strength.

Because Shin was a fucking cheater.

And for all of Shiroyama's fancy footwork, it wasn't doing much other than tiring him out. And sooner or later—

"Your footwork needs sharpening, My Lady."

She shrugged it off, blocking his next strike, "I'm not overly concerned."

"I don't believe someone like you has that sort of luxury, when battling someone…"

That was another thing. Shiroyama seemed to talk just as much as Shin. And that, Kiara knew, was where she would get her advantage. Because much like human brains, their own were not the best at multitasking. So if Shiroyama could stay occupied enough trying to degrade her, or endlessly praising his non-existent relationship with Edgar—

There it was. Just what she was looking for. Because the moment anyone loses their footing, it's over.

She struck him as he lifted his foot to move, multiple times, driving him to the ground, not relinquishing until he was flat on his back, the tip of her sword at the edge of his nose, her foot on his chest.

There was something about a man panting beneath her with fear in their eyes. It really got her blood going.

"I believe they call this a victory." She smirked, before pressing her foot down harder, her heel digging into his stomach, "Stay the fuck away from Edgar." She removed her foot and turned around to face the group, wiping the sweat from her brow with a proud sort of smile.

"Ok," she panted, "Now let's go find Eloise before she freaking—"

"Kiara!" Edgar _screeched,_ and Shin moved so fast she almost didn't really _see,_ but she _heard_ it, the sound of a sword slicing through flesh, cutting through bone. Everything in her froze, as she heard the muttered words.

"Only a coward attacks his enemy from behind."

Shin drew out the sword in a single motion, letting Shiroyama's limp body hit the ground in a heavy and mangled heap, the sight of it disturbingly loud.

Kiara could feel the tremors in her inhales, could feel the heat in Shin's words, Edgar and Yuma both looking at them, her heart racing for reasons she didn't want to think about.

"Fucking hate Snakes." Shin finished, wiping his sword against Shiroyama's chest, Kiara watching as Edgar's eyes filled in horror.

"You..." his voice cracked, "You killed him."

"He would've killed Kiara," Yuma defended, "Edgar, don't look-"

But Edgar didn't seem to hear any of that, couldn't _stop_ looking, and it wasn't until Yuma covered his eyes that he seemed to snap out of it, Kiara's voice garbled in his ears, as if he were underwater.

"Yuma," Kiara began-

"I got him," he nodded, "Go save the future Queen."

Kiara nodded, putting her own sword back in it's sheath, and tugging at Shin's sleeve, "Let's go."

"This is more than I signed up for, Sampson."

"Yeah, well," she tugged him along, "I sort of saved your life. So you owe me."

He scoffed, "As far as you know-"

"Just shut up for two seconds. Where would Carla be?"

Shin looked at her, before glancing up the stairs, "If he's dying," he said, looking towards Kiara again, "Then I can only think of one place."

…

Eloise should have known better. But she couldn't exactly help herself. There was something about him that just… _drew her in._

Of course, it would have been better if she hadn't gotten lost along the way. But one second he was there, in front of her, and the next, he wasn't. Was it rude to follow people? This wasn't her home, after all.

She glanced around the hallway, the walls lined with painting after painting after painting.

They were beautiful.

She stopped in front of one that wasn't quite like the rest, the black and brown of the piled bodies ringing only all to familiar with the title. And for a moment she wondered what a piece like the _Triumph of Death_ was doing in a hallway that boasted paintings like—

"It's you, isn't it?"

The sudden voice shocked her, and she turned around immediately, meeting desperate, golden eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, as though he'd stolen it from her, never fully reaching her lungs.

"Tsukinami-sama…"


	19. Chapter 19

It was exactly like everything she'd ever read about. What she'd always believed in but at the same time not, because how could something that magnificent happen to someone as plain as _her?_ But it had to be, _had to be,_ because the moment she looked into those eyes, she knew. Knew _everything,_ it felt like, because those eyes… _his_ eyes…

"You realize your position, don't you?"

It should have been intimidating. It _was,_ but the voice was so desperate, those eyes so pleading, his dependence on the wall so crushing to her that she could do nothing but reach out to him. She swore she could feel his pain, was sharing in it.

The odds of this…from first sight, from a glance; the chances were slim. For him to reciprocate what she was currently feeling was perhaps more insane than she was willing to admit. Perhaps she's gone a bit mad herself. But he did not move, when she placed her hand on his cheek, when her own blood rushed at the feel of his warmth, because unlike a vampire he _was_ warm…

"I can help," she began, much quieter than she had originally intended, "My blood—"

At this, the enchantment seemed to break, because he pushed her hand away, narrowing his eyes. "Do not think yourself in the position of choice. Nor should you give yourself the benefit of charity—" He began to cough, his frame shrinking as he leaned heavily against the wall.

The Founder made a grab for her, but Eloise did not move, allowing him to take hold of her arm. "P-Please drink," she stuttered over her words, "I'm sure it will help—"

_"Silence."_

Never before had a single word shaken her to her very core. It were almost as if everything he said left a small vibration in her chest, every action a pleading rush in her veins.

He seemed to have enough in him to pull her closer, biting from her neck with weak fangs. After a lifetime with vampires, Eloise knew he was hardly getting enough to make any sort of difference.

"Tsukinami-sama, maybe somewhere softer—or perhaps, I could pierce my own—"

Carla laughed in a frightening way, sinking to the floor, looking as if he were drowning in his own robes.

"How far have I fallen," he began, "For someone like you to take pity on me—"

Eloise dropped to her knees, white-blonde hair falling forward over her shoulders. Without thinking, and with determination sharpened in her blue eyes, she reached for the Founder's hands, taking them into her own. "It's not pity!" She was surprised by the strength of her own voice, from the way her hands shook as she held his, tightening her grip from fear of his letting go. "If anything," she began, her voice now matching her shaking hands, "I think I'm in love with you!"

She hadn't quite considered what he might have looked like when she said so. Mostly because she had no real intention of saying anything of the sort to begin with. But it had been said, and with Carla lacking any real sense of reproach, it only fueled her confidence. "Please drink." She insisted.

Carla looked at her curiously, his golden eyes fixing on her blue ones. Her heart skipped, his gaze making her feel as if he were attempting to glance into her soul.

"You have honest eyes, Lady Sakamaki."

Her inhale was cut short. "Eloise," she corrected.

Those golden eyes widened, Carla's groan mixing with laughter, as he struggled to sit up, in order to appear more distinguished.

Eloise flinched slightly, biting her lip in heart-racing nervousness. "Tsukinami…sama…?"

"What an amusing woman…" the Founder murmured, raising his hand, but then letting it drop back to his side, his breathing labored. "What would you know about something like love?"

"I know enough." She replied seriously, making sure to look into his eyes. If he thought her honest, then surely he'd believe her.

"Then, if it is as you claim," Carla began, wincing as he put his hand on his side, to cover his wound, "You will allow me to drink from you lips."

The pink that dusted her cheeks quickly burnt bright red, her own eyes betraying her. "From my…um, I—"

He chuckled again, shaking his head and waving her away with his hand, "Your confession is in vain, Your Highness. Leave me—"

"I can do it!" She surprised the both of them, both in how quickly she responded, and in the sudden shout that burst from her throat. "And the skin will be easier to break, so…" Her next sentence did not come with the same confidence, resting on shaky knees as she leaned forward, and swallowed nervously. "P-Please close your eyes, Tsukinami-sama…"

A trembling, pale hand covered Carla's golden eyes, and he could feel the faint warmth of the demon's breath against his lips.

"Please drink," she whispered, lips only just brushing over his, "Drink and get better."

The bite was still a weak one, the pain slightly sharper, because never before had Eloise had the flesh of her lips sliced by foreign fangs.

But if it meant that the Founder King would get better…

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

Eloise gasped suddenly, pulling away from the King, remembering that they were not alone in the castle.

"Kiki! It's not—This is—You see, my blood—"

"Pay no attention to them," Carla spoke with all the calmness in the world, cupping her cheek to bring her back in, and drink from her lips once more.

Eloise brightened, and Kiara paled. Shin, on the other hand, snickered.

"Oy, Creepy-nama, let my fucking cousin go—" Kiara wrapped her arms around Eloise's stomach and dragged her away, creating a decent distance between the two.

"This is not your concern," Carla began, sounding tired—

"The hell it is!" Kiara snapped, before turning to Eloise, and brushing her fingers through her hair, examining her face and the bite on her neck, making sure not too much damage had been done. "Are you ok? He only bit you, right? There was no transference of blood from his side—"

"Kiki—"

"If there was we have to purify you right away. If we can get back to my dad it'll be safer than what I did with—"

"Kiki—"

"Don't worry, I've got you—"

"Kiara!" Eloise removed the older woman's hands from her face, "I'm fine! I'm not a child anymore."

Kiara smiled kindly. "Of course not. But you're still important. I won't let him near you—"

"Kiki I love him."

Everything fell silent.

Shin looked from the two women on the floor, to his brother with a quickly sealing wound. Interesting. If only his own breath hadn't become labored…

Kiara crinkled her features, not understanding in the least. "Love who?"

Eloise blushed, hiding behind her lashes as she looked down at the floor. "Tsukinami-sama…of course…"

Kiara fell flat on her butt, her eye twitching as she heard Carla's low chuckle, bringing her hand up to her forehead in habit she'd picked up from her father. "You love…what the hell does that even mean?"

"I—"

"What the fuck is wrong with this family I swear to—you didn't even call him by his first name. You realize that right? And the fact that you guys met like _three_ minutes ago—I mean I know my mom would read us those—but come _on_ Eloise you can't _seriously—_ "

"My blood can save him," Eloise explained, "And I want to."

"I forbid it."

"You can't."

"Think of your mom, at least! We have to get you back. _All_ of us, have to get back."

"Sampson—"

She growled, _not_ needing his input, "Not now—Eloise. Look, maybe he did something to you. He can wield magic. Let's get you back home, and Papa will run some tests—"

There was a heavy _thud_ behind them, both women jumping, Carla commenting on the fact that this was _exactly_ why women couldn't rule.

Shin was laying, unmoving, on the floor, his legs folded beneath him.

Kiara froze in horror.

"She could help him," Carla grinned, "If she stayed..."

She stood up, glaring at the King, "What did you do?"

Carla only smirked, finally managing to stand, but still using the wall to steady himself. "I believe the question is, what did _you_ do?"

Eloise tugged at her cousin's arm, blue eyes wide and pleading. "Kiki, you have to let me stay. I can help them."

"Are you crazy?" She looked anxiously from her cousin to Shin's unmoving body, "Think of your mom..." It seemed to be the only real reason she could come up with at the moment.

Eloise smiled tenderly, cocking her head ever so slightly. "I think…she'd understand…don't you?"

Kiara took a breath. There was no secret as to how Auntie Yui had met Shu. And Eloise was no human. But even still, with a man like Carla…

"Then I'll stay with you."

Eloise hugged her, shaking her head. "You can't. You've been gone too long. Think of _your_ parents. You know how Uncle can be."

"Well it's not like I can just leave you here with him. He could kill you—"

"He won't."

"Eloise," she broke them apart, grabbing her cousin's shoulders, "Don't talk like you know him—"

"No harm will come to her," Carla interjected, "If that is your concern. She is, after all, my antidote."

Kiara narrowed her eyes at the Founder, before glancing down to Shin's body, biting her lip as she returned her gaze to Eloise, trying her best to think clearly.

"Ok, then. Yuma. Yuma can stay—"

"I will not host a half-blood within this castle's walls. I have yet to fall so low."

"Kiki," trembling hands embraced Kiara's, "I'm not sure if you know, but I'm next in line. So more than a request, I'll order you to go home."

She deadpanned. "Hang me for treason, then."

"Kiki!"

"Eloise! Even if I _did_ let you stay, how the hell am I suppose to explain—"

"This is our peace treaty," Eloise gave a bittersweet smile, "It's a really easy one too. If all I have to do is give blood, then…"

Her voice trailed off, as if she expected Kiara to interrupt her, but the vampire did nothing of the sort. She couldn't decide if Eloise _actually_ had feelings for Carla—which was about as likely as it was _un_ likely— or if she actually wasn't as naive as she'd always thought her to be. Because in doing this, it really would prevent a war.

"Don't…" Kiara inhaled, her mind spinning, still not fully sure, "We don't even know if your blood and his is compatible-"

"If it weren't, I would be dead by now, wouldn't I?" Carla input calmly.

She looked from Carla, to Shin again. "Fine. Can you wake him up already? It's creepy seeing him like that." Her voice admittedly trembled more than she was comfortable with.

"As I said before, Miss Sakamaki, I've done nothing to my brother."

Goosebumps spread down her back in annoyance, because magic was simply what Carla /did/ but that was when she noticed Shin's arm. The place where she'd bitten was stained with the pink of Endzeit.

She'd left the wound open.

Blood rushed in her ears, roaring and deafening.

"Kiara?"

She turned to her cousin in slight panic, eyes wide and thinking. "I didn't…disinfecting the bite—I'm not this careless, Papa—"

"What happened?" Eloise urged, grabbing her by the arms, trying to get her to calm down.

"I had to drain most of his blood. Since he got Endzeit. But if I forgot—through his skin—it spread regardless—"

"Give him my blood—"

"He can't bite. And if I inject it with my fangs then it could get infected again, or I might—" she looked from Eloise to Carla, "Do you have a syringe, or a needle of some sort?"

"I do wonder…" he drawled.

"This isn't the time!" She shouted, "He could die!"

Carla cocked his head, eyebrow raised, as if he didn't see her point. Kiara couldn't help but bare her fangs, "He's your own brother! The only family you have left—"

"That is of no concern to me, Miss Sakamaki."

"But—"

"It seems," Carla said with a smile he took only too much pleasure in, "That we both have something the other needs."

Her mind rushed, trying to come up with something, _anything,_ thinking that if she were more like her father then maybe she'd be able to talk her way out of it, or if she were more like her mom then she could use some sort of empathetic reasoning, but she just _wasn't,_ wouldn't _ever_ be, and if something didn't come to her soon then Shin was going to—

"Kiki," Eloise said softly, giving her hand a squeeze, with a soft and warm smile on her face. "I'll be fine. Let me help them."

"I'll come back for you," Kiara insisted, "Just as soon as I explain everything to—"

"Kiki, it'll work out. We don't have time."

Kiara looked up at Carla, nodding her head. "Done. Where's your medical shit?"

…

She had to get Yuma to carry Shin down into the basement because Carla refused to lift a finger. Both he and Edgar seemed confused, but with the glare Kiara shot them both knew better than to ask questions.

With practiced patience, Kiara drew blood from Eloise, swapping out the needles every time she gave Shin treatment.

It took six full vials, until he suddenly gasped for air, needle still in his arm when he grabbed the front of Kiara's shirt, sneering out the name _Sampson._

"Shin?"

He'd pulled her down, so that their faces almost collided, her heart racing about ten million times faster than when she'd seen him fall to the floor—

The shell of her ear was licked, and she could almost _hear_ the bastard's smirk, "Scare you?"

She smacked his face as she pulled away, and yanked the needle out as carelessly as she could manage. _"Idiot."_

"Can't believe you tried to kill me."

"I didn't _try_ to kill you—"

Shin looked from his arm, to the bloody syringe. "Little Demon give me her blood?"

Kiara nodded, before grabbing his arm to make sure everything was properly cleaned and wrapped this time.

"Where is she?"

She didn't bother to look up, working on his bandage, "Right over…" but she found it strange, that Eloise had been so quiet up until now, and when she looked over, she saw that her cousin was gone.

"Carla likes to keep his things close."

She scoffed, ignoring him and tying up the bandage, trying her best to _not_ worry about Eloise, but that sort of thing was impossible. "Apparently. She doesn't know what she's getting into."

"Forget her. You sure I'm not gonna fucking die again?"

"You didn't _die_ in the first place," she snapped, letting go of his arm suddenly, because she realized she was still holding on, "But…now we're officially even…"

He smirked, "Yeah?"

"I know everything sort of happened at once," she started, rather awkwardly, "But with Koichi—"

"Told you I'd kill him if you didn't."

"I'm trying to thank you."

"I didn't do it for you."

"Well fine, fuck you too then."

Shin laughed, "So _touchy._ "

She looked at him, not knowing what to do with her hands, so she unhooked the sword that was still attached to her side, handing it over to him. "I guess that's it then."

He took the sword, pulling it out a bit and then eyeing her once again. "What is?"

"I'm going home. You guys have Eloise, now."

"Good thing, too, considering how useless you were."

Too much had happened. She was too tired to fight him anymore. And all things considered, if Eloise hadn't been there, he would have…all because of her…

"Yeah. I guess so."

Shin made a face. "The fuck kind of lame ass answer is that?"

"An honest one." She said plainly, about to inhale and tell him to forget it, but she was smacked sharply across the face.

She saw red. "What the fu—"

He moved to hit her again, but she stopped him, fangs bared in a snarl, "Don't fucking test me after everything that's happ—"

"There she is," Shin said with a smirk, struggling against her, "Thought you'd gone off the deep end."

It felt as if she were still holding in her inhale, her lungs stretched out and her chest expanding with irritation.

"I fucking hate you."

He pulled her in, teeth meeting teeth and fangs slicing lips, his tongue sliding along the soft flesh to gather her blood. And for a moment it felt like when he first did so, by the lake, with her feet in the water and that horrible dress pinning her down…

"Your blood still tastes like shit, Sampson." His breath brushed just over her lips, their noses bumping together.

Blinking a few times, she returned to the present. "Not like you'll ever have to taste it again."

"That's not up to you, is it?"

Her eyes searched his face, looking for something that might give him away, that might give more meaning to those words—

"We'll take care of your little demon friend," he said, pulling away, acting as nonchalantly as usual, as if he _hadn't_ almost died, as if they _hadn't_ just kissed, which was stupid because no matter how rough it was they still—

"So don't be bothering us too much, got it?"

Silently, Kiara clenched her jaw, not fully knowing what the strange feeling in her stomach was. "Wouldn't dream of it," she took a step back, further distancing herself from him, "I have to talk to them—to Eloise. Since…"

"By all means."

Kiara nodded, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, hand still clasping the nob as the feeling in her stomach only worsened. She wanted to go back in.

She just didn't know why.


	20. Chapter 20

Reiji waited until his wife shifted against his arm once more, before sighing. "You may as well speak."

There was a long pause, upon which he assumed she was debating whether or not to feign sleep.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"That sort of thing is irrelevant."

Reina thought a moment, taking in a large inhale, closing her fist over her husband's silk shirt, "The piano doesn't stop."

"I haven't the chance to speak to her."

"You don't think…some sort of magic—"

"It is possible," he began, "Though there is not much I could accomplish, without the proper means—"

"Reiji," Reina said seriously, "This song…"

"I'm aware, Reina."

"Maybe, if we," she moved, as if to get out of bed, but Reiji held her back, forcing her head down.

"Tomorrow," he insisted, "I will speak to her."

"It's beautiful." Reina breathed, their daughter's piano playing progressively getting louder and louder..

"Yes," Reiji inhaled, "That's what frightens me."

"…You don't think—"

"Impossible."

"She's always used music to express herself."

"That has nothing to do with it."

Reina failed to reply, instead readjusting herself against her husband's arm, quietly exhaling. "It has everything to do with it."

…

Edgar wasn't sure what to do. Because she'd been playing nothing but _The Windmills of Your Mind_ for what seemed like the past five hours. Which was _fine_ ; she'd always used music as a way to cope. But the song was repetitive enough as is. Still, he felt like if he went in there, he'd get yelled at. So it resulted in him mostly sitting outside the music room, wondering whether or not he should knock.

But when the piece suddenly changed, he knew he definitely had to go in there. Knocking or no knocking.

Because maybe she was going crazy. Or she'd been struck with genius. But both were a type of madness, right? So, for her sake…

He puffed up his courage and went in, into the flurry of notes that assaulted him the moment he stepped through the door, feeling like he was trudging through snow just to get up to the piano. When he did, she didn't even acknowledge him.

"That's…quite a song you got going there…" he finally managed, shouting _ever_ so slightly to be heard.

Kiara pounded at the keys, "Rage Over a Lost Penny. Beethoven."

Edgar smiled and nodded, "Sure, sure. I can feel the energy. Care to play anything else?"

The sudden slamming of the keys, the rapidity of the new song nearly gave Edgar a heart attack.

"Kiara what in the world!"

"Firebird. Stravinsky." She repeated the chords three times.

Edgar had never seen her fingers move so fast.

"In the mood to play today?"

Her fingers seemed to move on their own, alternating between trills and various glissandos. "Something like that." She muttered behind gritted teeth.

This was bad. When she got into certain _zones_ there was no pulling her out. He called to her. She didn't reply. So he said her name again. And again, nothing.

"Kiara!"

"What!" She slammed her hands down, and Edgar wasn't sure if it was part of the piece of if she had simply stopped.

He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. "What's wrong?"

"Why, Edgar," she said in a voice sugary sweet, "Whatever do you mean?"

He hated that about her. "Is it…" he began, "I mean, about the younger brother—"

"No."

"Kiara—"

"I said no."

"You saved his life twice," Edgar insisted, "And even choosing him over Eloise—"

"I didn't _choose_ him over Eloise there wasn't _any_ choice _—_ "

"Kiara," he said softly, reaching out to her, "I'm just saying, if you care about him—"

She avoided his touch. "Leave me alone, Edgar."

He took in a deep breath, leaning against the piano. "Whatever happened, that's between you and him. But we're all worried, you know."

Kiara put her fingers on the piano again, "That doesn't really sound like _my_ problem—"

"Kiki," Edgar scolded, narrowing his eyes. Kiara snorted at the foreign expression.

"You pick that up from Yuma?" she asked.

Edgar blushed almost immediately, his features changing completely. "N-No, he—I mean we're not even really—"

Kiara shook her head, smiling softly, somewhat somberly. "It's fine," she paused, opening her mouth a bit, so Edgar gave her the time she needed.

"…Do we know anything about Eloise yet?"

He shook his head, "My dad's…working on it."

Kiara nodded solemnly, and Edgar cleared his throat, smiling a smile similar to his mother's, trying to cheer the both of them up.

"How about something a tad lighter?" He motioned to the piano, urging her to play some more.

She pursed her lips, looking from him to the piano, and then sighing.

"Like what?"

He shrugged, still smiling. "I don't know. Something happy! Aren't you glad to be home?"

He noticed her fidget at that, but he said nothing, instead focused on how she rearranged her hands on the keys, clearing her throat. "Ok."

The difference was immediate. A song Edgar recognized almost right away. But still, he said nothing. Kiara hit the forte's with a bit more force than might have been her usual, but it was beautiful, just the same. Because the song expressed everything her closed eyes didn't.

"It sounds like a carnival."

"Mm," her body seemed to lean into the sounds, "I always thought New York."

"Personally, I think of Paris."

Edgar turned to see Aunt Reina by the door, walking towards them. Kiara smiled as she got to the triplet chords that felt like a dance on their own, "That's so cliche, Mother."

"Well, he is a French composer." Reina said, standing next to Edgar.

Kiara snorted.

"Perhaps I'm old fashioned." Reina smiled at her nephew, before glancing at her daughter. "Didn't we have the sheet music somewhere?"

Kiara shrugged, stroking the notes, "Don't need it."

Reina smirked, shaking her head, "A prodigy, like your Uncle."

"Better than that."

Edgar laughed, "That's going to go straight to her head, Auntie."

Kiara stuck her tongue out.

"You both know I hate interrupting," Reina said, "But your father is asking for you, Kiara."

She stiffened, her fingers stopping and the song coming to an abrupt halt that distorted the sound. Papa was just about the last person she wanted to see. Because Papa always asked all the hard questions. And she already knew what he was going to say. Because it's not like she could _lie_ about anything. He always saw through everything. Still, she knew she couldn't exactly refuse. So she stood up, closing the top over the keys.

"If I'm not back in three hours please check the dungeon for me."

"Oh Kiara—"

"I'm serious, Mom."

Reina smiled and shook her head, "Very well."

"Edgar," Kiara pointed at him, and then at her mother, "Make sure she checks."

"Honestly you're too dramatic."

Kiara blew raspberries at him, mostly because mother couldn't do anything about it, and left the room. Personally, she didn't find that to be dramatic at all. Because Papa would know _everything_ in a matter of moments. And if that wasn't reasonable cause to murder her, then she wasn't sure what was.

She took a deep breath when she got to the doors of his study, knowing not to linger, because he would've known she was standing outside anyway, so she knocked and excused herself for entering.

"Father."

He was shuffling through some papers, books on the table that Kiara recognized to be hundreds of years old.

"That was an interesting composition, just now." He said.

She shifted.

"Je Te Veux." Reiji elaborated.

"Edgar wanted something happy." Kiara justified immediately.

Reiji nodded, motioning with his hand for her to sit. She would have preferred to stand, in case she had to run away.

Not that Papa had ever hit her or anything. Well, she'd gotten a fine spanking once or twice. But worse than that, worse than anything, actually, was that _glare_ he got…

"Tea?"

"Sure."

There it was, right on cue. How Mother had ever gotten past eyes like that was a wonder. Kiara inhaled. "Yes, please, Father."

Reiji nodded again, pouring them both a cup, placing it just before her on the small round table. He sat directly across, sipping his own tea with undying patience.

"Were you abused?" He began. Straight to the point. Classic Papa. Then again, she didn't see the point of beating around the bush either.

"Only in the beginning."

"By the brother?"

"Shin." Kiara confirmed, wanting to say more, and yet knowing better.

"Would you say he was justified in his actions?"

Kiara raised an eyebrow, before deadpanning. She should've guessed Papa would try and assess her mental stability. Which was probably why her answer was perhaps more blunt than it normally would have been. "Fuck no."

Reiji narrowed his eyes, "Your profanity is insulting."

"Your question is insulting!" Kiara ranted, "I don't—"

She stopped herself, her father's smile catching her off guard.

"Am I so obvious?" He blew on his tea.

Kiara tried to bite back her own smile, not succeeding in the least. "Your subtlety isn't so much to blame as my own observation of the fact."

"Then perhaps," Reiji continued to smile, with a sort of satisfaction derived from pride, "My next question?"

Kiara thought a moment, before responding. "Did I," she said, "at any point, feel as though the situation were hopeless?"

Reiji watched her intently, "And your answer?"

"Mother always said I inherited your stubbornness."

He didn't seem satisfied with that. "Logic cannot be equated with stubbornness."

"Logic," Kiara continued, "Stood under the conclusion that I was not inherently in danger."

"You _were_ in danger."

"Then chalk it up to stupidity." She went on with a wave of her hand.

"Kiara—"

"Don't ask me."

It was abrupt enough of a request to make Reiji hesitate, and she could see him carefully choosing his next few words.

"Because you won't answer?"

"Because I'll be honest."

He looked at her curiously, as Kiara brought the tea up to her lips, so that she wouldn't have to speak.

"Then?"

She swallowed. The silence between them suddenly seemed endless. She knew what he was asking. What he was trying to analyze. "There wasn't…from either side. We didn't get along but…"

"Strictly sexual, you mean to say—"

"Papa!"

"Well," he adjusted his glasses, "You return to us with a foreign scent on your person. I am inclined to question."

"It happened. That's all you need to know."

"Against your will?"

"Of course not!"

"You are aware," he was losing his patience now, "That that man is more ancient than anyone in this family?"

Her eyes widened, filled partly with rage, partly with surprise, because of course she _knew_ but it wasn't like she'd ever really _thought_ about it. " _That's_ what your worried about? Because he's old?"

"It is not his only troubling attribute. But it is a point of contention."

She grumbled under her breath. "Everything with you is a point of contention..."

"Kiara. How can you sit here and defend him-"

"It's not defending if nothing happened!"

"And with what reasoning! How can you expect me to think you of solid mind when—"

"Not everything needs a reason," she argued, motioning with her hands, "Sometimes things just happen—"

"That's preposterous. You know it as well as I. Do not justify what that man did—"

"I'm not justifying anything! I'm perfectly sane!"

"That is not for you to decide." He said simply, pushing up his glasses, and taking his tea into his hands.

Kiara glared at him, her hands balling into fists over her knees. "Mother was engaged to Shu. But you fell for her anyway. Where's the _reasoning_ in that?"

"Such a situation can hardly be compared—"

Kiara's features distorted somewhat painfully, as she took another large inhale. "I don't hate him. But I won't justify what he did, either…have a little faith, at least—what do you want me to..." her voice trailed off, but she quickly picked it up, "It's not like we're ever going to see each other again. So who cares?"

Reiji raised his brow, and Kiara already knew what he was going to say. She took in an almost desperate breath, "Papa—"

"You cured him of endzeit. Twice, if I'm not mistaken. Put your own life in danger to do so. That can hardly be deemed as apathetic."

Kiara lowered her eyes. "No one said it was…"

"I will ask you again," he was sounding tired now, "Were you touched against your will?"

"And I'll tell _you_ again: no."

"I didn't think we'd raised such a wanton."

She stood up, making as much noise as she could, "I don't have to listen to this—"

"Kiara Albertyne Sakamaki sit _down."_

Shit. She hadn't been middle-named in ages. And it was fucking terrifying whenever Papa spoke German, even if it was just the one word. It was surprising even to herself, just how quickly she obeyed her father's orders. "I'm not a wanton…" she muttered under her breath.

"I realize you are not a child," Reiji said, pouring more tea, "Which is exactly why your irresponsibility cannot be ignored."

She couldn't really argue with that.

"Surely," he continued, "You can imagine the Queen's current state. You may begin your penance by providing as much information on the Tsukinamis as possible."

"It's not Shin you have to worry about," Kiara said, "Carla's not as weak as he looks. And with Eloise's blood he's probably even stronger than before. But it was weird. He wasn't exactly…threatening, I guess, around Eloise. And then there was Eloise's whole confession thing—"

"Could he have enchanted her?"

Kiara snorted, "In what way?"

Reiji glared at her. Kiara cleared her throat. "I'm not sure. He was definitely still capable of magic. But, you know Eloise has always been…"

"Like her mother," Reiji sighed, "Yes."

"It was a bit too much, though. Even for her. I'm not sure how you'd be able to detect an enchantment."

"The eyes," Reiji began, "Will lose clarity. It's similar to intoxication. Pupil dilation and the like."

Kiara nodded, taking note of the fact. "But Carla even agreed to have Edgar come visit. Don't you think that's weird? If he had enchanted her, I mean. You'd think he wouldn't want anyone around."

Kiara watched as Papa brought his gloved hand to his chin, "The best place to hide is in plain sight, is it not? Of course, this could be his attempt to create a treatise. War can become quite exhaustive."

"Kinda goes against everything he did up till now."

"With the acquisition of Eloise, war simply lost its appeal, both in terms of facility and feasibility."

"You mean he was just desperate?"

Reiji nodded.

She cleared her throat. "So then...what're we gonna do?"

"I do wish you would speak with more precision."

Her jaw tensed. "What I mean to say, Father, is if we send Edgar all on his own—"

Reiji pushed up his glasses, "Edgar will act as a temporary informant. When the time comes, I will accompany the King to visit the Tsukinamis. Patience is essential."

"I'll go with y—"

"I forbid it."

Kiara made a face. "I'm—"

"You are a liability. It is not in anyone's best interest. You will stay here, for the time being."

"Papa you can't just lock the princess up in a tower so the big bad wolf won't get her. I can take care of myself. Like you said, I'm not a kid anymore."

Reiji placed his tea down, but did not refill the cup, and that, Kiara knew, marked the end of their discussion. With the patience that dominated the entirety of his demeanor, he folded his hands over the table, looking at her intently. "The past few months point to the exact opposite, Kiara. And if locking you up is the necessary means to keep you safe then you should know I will not hesitate. Your mother and yourself are my only priorities."

Kiara couldn't help but bounce her leg in anxiousness. Time and distance had made her forget, but whenever it came to her and mother…

Papa didn't fuck around.


	21. Chapter 21

Shin fucking hated Eloise Sakamaki. For lots of reasons. All of which were equally important. The main thing was that she didn't resist at all.

She just took everything quietly. Like a goddamn bitch, wagging her tail at the sight of her owner. Which was boring, to say the least. And then there was the fact that this bitch was always cooking, like some old-timey housewife, without a single care in the goddamn world.

And this was all _after_ she'd found out Carla had used some… _persuasion_ on her. She didn't even _react._ Said that didn't matter so long as their feelings didn't change.

What did something like that even _mean?_

Worse than that, though, was how different Carla was starting to get. Well, women had that effect didn't they? Terrifying. He scoffed as he remembered Karlheinz, fucking little bastard that he was. Complete 180 with that guy.

Those were the days.

Better than now, at least, with his brother all fluffed up and shit and his own head a fucking mess and those goddamn Sakamakis coming in every few months to check up on Eloise. Her brother, little fairy of a guy, annoying as fuck. Always trying to talk to him. Would say _Kiara_ this and _Kiara_ that. As if Shin gave a fucking damn. And this kid was always asking questions too. Not like Shin answered any of them. You'd think he would've gotten the point by now.

Fucking little shit.

Worse was when he was around his sister. Shin thought they were twins at first, since they have that same vibe around them. The fairy was supposedly three years older but honestly what did it matter when they were both naive little pieces of shit?

When they weren't discussing Eloise herself, then it was always _Kiki Kiki Kiki._

The _fuck_ kind of a nickname was _Kiki?_ If Shin were her, he would've ripped their throats out by now.

But the cousins were the least of his worries. The real shit happened whenever _His Royal Highness_ came to see his daughter.

Shu wasn't exactly the problem. Typical royal. Didn't go out of his way to talk to him. Spoke mainly to Carla and to Eloise and that was pretty much the end of it. But every time he came, he always brought _that_ guy with him.

 _Tsukinami Shin,_ was the only greeting he'd received, complete with a crinkled up nose and lifted chin. Tall bastard. Not that it was intimidating. If anything, it was kind of funny how pissed off he looked, even if his voice _did_ drip murder.

Should've expected it though, being Kiara's father and all. He was obviously where she got her shitty attitude from. Kind of made Shin wonder what sort of poor woman had ended up with him as a wife.

Then again, it was Sampson's daughter, wasn't it? Tiny thing, last he'd ever heard of her. How _did_ that happen, anyway?

Well it's not like he cared. But one way or another, it was a fucked up family tree.

Though it'd be funny, he thought, seeing Reiji's face, if Shin decided to...

What was she up to these days, anyway?

…

She'd forgotten what it felt like to hunt. The rush in her blood, the completely defenseless look those humans got, their pupils dilating in fear and that little gurgle of a sound that was made when her fangs pierced their necks.

It was almost too easy. Sort of ruined the fun. But guys were _always_ easy, just bit of leg and lipstick and they were like putty in her hands.

Ok, so maybe being a vampire gave her an advantage. But still. She shouldn't shake how _boring_ it all was. Not to mention the makeup was heavy, weighing down her lashes and lips. What made this appeal to humans anyway?

And it was all such a goddamn _waste_ because this guy tasted like absolute _shit._

Didn't change the fact that she nearly drained him dry. Though part of her only did it so she could watch his knees fold and have his body slump to the ground.

Damn it, she was pissed.

It was all _his_ fault anyway, she'd had nothing but Founder's blood for…

Jeez how long had it been, anyway? Either way she should've been over it by now. Because between finally leaving the Tsukinamis and now…it'd been almost a whole year. Which meant she _seriously_ had to get over herself. Because whatever had happened at that castle…

That was all over, now.

So instead she sucked the human to near death, but not quite, reveling in the way his pathetic body hit the ground, and kicked him once in the stomach for good measure, since the asshole had taken the liberty of grabbing her ass.

That felt good. Thank fuck Edgar wasn't here, or he wouldn't have let her get away with that.

Although, she couldn't really remember the last time she'd gone alone. It felt sort of…weird, Edgar not being there with her. And if Kiara _really_ thought about it, and the more she _did_ think about it, she realized that Edgar had always drunk from her catch. Not that it had ever seemed strange before. But now…

Well, it was a given now of course.

While she would've like to have said she'd always known, she _didn't,_ because she wasn't nearly as observant as Papa always praised her to be, at least not about things she didn't particularly care about. And Edgar's sexuality wasn't really something that was ever at the forefront of her mind.

Although, she _should_ have noticed. The way he looked at Yuma. In a way she _had,_ of course, but it was _Yuma_ for god sakes, a goddamn _gardener_ …

Well. So long as Edgar was happy.

Yuma had apologized. For kissing her and whatnot. But that was old fucking news. And Kiara had long since figured out he was probably just desperate anyways. She knew the feeling. The kind that craved for something, _anything,_ even if it meant putting on a goddamn skirt and batting her lashes, all for lukewarm skinship and mediocre blood because at the very least—

Wait.

She sighed, swallowing with a cringe to get rid of the nasty metallic taste. This was _not_ about _that._ She'd only gone hunting because she was _thirsty_ and nothing more. But her thoughts quickly drifted to Edgar again, those pale pink eyes that were just so goddamn _happy._ She shook her head, trying to regain her senses.

Either out of frustration, or something else entirely, she kicked the human again, thinking that if it were Shin, he wouldn't have taken it so easily.

When she got home, Papa was waiting for her, which wasn't exactly out of the norm, since one or both of her parents usually waited until she was back before going to sleep. It was a wonder they let her go out hunting in the first place.

Papa didn't look too pleased. Again, not out of the norm, but there was a particular stiffness to his posture, and while he was rigid, he always seemed to get away with it in a natural sort of way.

She tugged at her top, trying to make it reached her high-waisted skirt to hide her skin. "Is something wrong?"

He motioned for her to sit down, so she did, tucking her skirt behind her knees and sitting properly, crossing her ankles somewhat anxiously. "Is Eloise—"

"Eloise is fine."

Kiara seemed to exhale at that. If Eloise wasn't in trouble then it was fine. "What is it then?"

"They are to wed."

Kiara swallowed, her own posture straightening in uncomfortably tense fashion. Papa was too blunt. Not that the news was exactly…unexpected, considering all that had happened. But Eloise…

"Papa, are you sure?"

"You doubt my analysis?"

"No. Of course not, but Carla—"

"She is void of all enchantments. Logically, a union between the two families is favorable, whether she be under the influence of magic or not."

"But what if he—"

"She is as sane as you yourself claim to be, Kiara."

He'd said the word _claim_ with a bit of a bite, so it was a clear stab at her, but what happened between Eloise and Carla wasn't anything like—

Kiara was going to say something, but stopped herself. Because it really _wasn't_ anything like what had happened between her and Shin. From what she'd heard from Edgar, Eloise was beyond happy. Ecstatic, even, saying she'd found her prince charming and all that. Carla was always amiable to Edgar, and there weren't any real signs of abuse at all.

One might almost describe it as _healthy,_ which was sort of insane, considering the Carla that Kiara had known was anything but.

Still, she wanted to see her. Because they'd forbidden her from going back to the Tsukinami castle.

"Let me talk to her."

"You will have an opportunity soon."

Kiara blinked, her hands placed properly in her lap. That was almost too easy. She shot her father a questioning look, upon which he sighed, pushing up his glasses and shaking his head in disapproval.

"Shu will be hosting the engagement party."

"He approves?" Kiara made a face.

"Carla is not so disagreeable. Shu insists to host on his own land." Reiji defended.

Kiara wasn't so sure about that. She stood up, feeling tired. "When's the ball?"

"The end of next month."

She nodded, before excusing herself. To her surprise, he didn't try to keep her back. All the better for her, though, what with everything running through her head. If a banquet was seriously going to happen, and if Eloise was seriously going to marry Carla Tsukinami of all people, then just by default, she'd be seeing Shin. Because in a weird way weren't they sort of becoming family now?

No. No that was gross.

With silent steps she climbed the stairs up to her parent's room, sliding in quietly. Whispering softly, she shook her mother awake.

Reina startled, sitting up almost immediately, "Kiara? Is everything alright?"

"I want a dress."

Reina crinkled her features, confused by sleep. "Then by all means, darling, get a dress."

"No, for the engagement party."

Realization washed over her features, as Reina nodded her head, closing her eyes, "Yes. Yes, we'll call upon the tailor."

Kiara kissed her mother's cheek, telling her to go back to sleep, because she didn't know left from right when she was all like that. Reina listened to her daughter's advice, lying back down against her pillow, and falling promptly to sleep.

She didn't know why she panicked so much, when she heard her father's steps outside the hall, but she _did,_ so in a clumsy rush she jumped out the window, forgetting she _couldn't_ fly because tonight was _not_ a full moon, and she couldn't teleport the way Uncle Ayato could so she ended up—

_Fuck._

The ground was a lot harder than she had expected it to be. She couldn't die from a fall like that, but _shit_ it hurt. Kiara groaned to herself, rolling over and dusting herself off slowly, stretching out her legs and pulling her arms up over her head. Would've hurt a lot more if she'd fallen on an empty stomach, so at least she had that going for her.

This sucked.

She wanted to go talk to Edgar. But he'd probably be with Yuma. And that'd be awkward. And whatever she told Edgar he'd probably just end up telling Yuma so…

No, he wouldn't. She knew that. That was just an excuse. She sighed again, her head feeling heavy.

At this rate, Eloise _and_ Edgar would be married before winter even _started._ And she'd be stuck at home with—

Maybe, she could join the ranks with Uncle Subaru and Ayato-'sama'. She could sort of fight now, after all.

She scoffed to herself. Papa would kill her before she even got the chance to see any real battle.

She sighed again, looking up at the crescent moon that seemed to be smiling down at all the word. If she didn't know any better, she'd say it was laughing at her.

Dammit. Life sucked.

…

"Carla, can I open them yet?"

"Patience is a virtue, Eloise."

She giggled softly, "You're being more cryptic than usual."

"Open."

Her eyes fluttered at his command, Eloise realizing she was in the gardens. But there wasn't anything very special about it, save for the moon. It was beautiful, though, even if it wasn't full.

"Ah…this…"

The King chuckled. "Not the garden."

She glanced at him, giving him a questioning look. He took her by the hand, lifting it up to his lips, so that he could kiss the back of her palm. Upon doing so, her wrist was taken by vines, and it was so sudden that she gasped, nearly recoiling, but Carla held her in place, until the vines settled in a simple band of golden leaves.

"For my future Queen."

Blush quickly rose to her cheeks, and Eloise didn't have the strength to look him in the eyes, settling with an exhaled _thank you,_ admiring the beauty of the bracelet.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought such a thing possible. Especially from the way her first few months in the mansion had fared out. Carla had been everything but the prince charming she had originally thought him to be. She never told Edgar, or Father, but Carla had been cold, implementing magic to manipulate her emotions.

That truly was the strangest experience she'd ever had in all her life. It were almost as if her own feelings were layered, buried beneath whatever Carla wanted to elicit. It made her chest tighten, her throat feel constricted, and after the spell had faded, she cried despite not feeling sad. It was as if her body were trying to wash away the magic.

Even still, she couldn't leave him alone. She wasn't sure why, exactly. But she couldn't help but feel that his anger wasn't necessarily directed at _her,_ per say. With the kind of persistence she'd always admired in her mother, Eloise stuck by the King's side, trying to understand, _wanting_ to, and as the days went on, he showed her more kindness, used less magic, began speaking _to_ her rather than _at_ her, and finally...

When he kissed her again, it was everything. It was the butterflies in her stomach and her heart beating out of her chest and sweaty hands and blood rushing in her ears and a red face that she just hoped he couldn't notice. Naturally, he had.

"That expression…" Carla's voice pulled her back to the present, his warm hand on her face only brightening her cheeks, "Do you like it that much?"

She looked from the bracelet, then to him, finally meeting his golden eyes. "If it is from you, then I will cherish it," she affirmed, closing her palm around his, and losing herself in his gaze.

Carla stroked her cheek with his thumb, his voice as low as ever, "Do not show such honest eyes to anyone else."

She leaned into his palm, eyes fluttering closed as a sheepish smile spread across her lips. This was everything she'd always wanted. "As you wish, My Lord."

…

"It's about time! I was wondering when you'd get over this phase of yours! I'll be right back with some fabrics!"

Kiara deadpanned. She fucking hated the seamstress. Obnoxious ass fucking entitled Vibora piece of shit. All because she said she didn't want a black dress. Black was elegant. Classy, even. It wasn't a goddamn _phase_ seriously what was everyone's _problem—_

"Kiara, you're grinding your teeth."

She blinked a few times, taking in a deep inhale. Biting her lip, she turned around, sitting down on the little stool she'd been standing on, her skirt poofing out around her as she did so.

"Mom?"

"Yes, darling?"

Kiara put her chin in her hands, pouting slightly, "How'd you know you wanted to be with Papa?"

Reina's eyes widened.

"I mean like doesn't he piss you off?" Kiara immediately defended, "Like what made you want to deal with that for the rest of forever?"

Her mother let a bit of a smile show, relaxing in her chair, "Yes, your father can be rather frustrating at times. Have you spoken to him recently?"

"He keeps trying to test me for Stockholm."

Reina looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "It's how he expresses his worry—"

"Well he sucks ass at it—"

"Kiara."

She grumbled, crossing her arms. "He just—he thinks he's right about everything! He's not! And it's just making me feel like I really _am_ crazy even though I _know—"_

"You know how he can be."

"That's not an excuse!" She argued, "Everyone thinks I was brainwashed or something. Literally that's exactly what happened to Eloise. He seriously used magic on her and no one seems to give a shit. She's getting _married_ to the guy how is _no one_ concerned?"

"Your father is completely objective in most matters, Kiara. When it comes to you I'm afraid—"

"So you agree with him. You don't think Eloise has had her mind fucked?"

"I do not." Reina replied simply.

"How? It doesn't make any sense—"

"Love isn't logical, Kiara—"

"Oh, here we _go—"_

Reina said her name, and it was enough to keep Kiara from saying any more, as she slumped further into the little stool, spreading her legs.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" She whispered.

"Not in the slightest." Reina answered with no hesitation, and Kiara gave a weak smile, nodding her head.

"Is this what dress is about?" Reina tried calmly, Kiara thinking that maybe her mom knew her a lot better than she thought. She shifted awkwardly, chewing the inside of her cheeks. "I mean…not…really…that's not the same—"

Reina smiled, glancing over the sketches, "It's been a long time since you've worn red. I think the last was—"

Kiara's eyes widened, her face lighting up with the memory as she pointed at her mother, "That stupid hat! With the ribbons! Why does Papa like hats so much?"

Reina laughed at that, shaking her head, "I wouldn't be able to tell you, darling."

Kiara laughed too, nodding at her mother, "How come you don't wear more hats? You'd look good in them."

"I dislike them as much as you."

"Not even to appease Papa?"

Reina leaned in, a slight curl to her lips, "That man can't have everything he wants, can he?"

Kiara snickered, biting the edge of her lip. She always became so at ease, talking to her mother. In a way that was different from Edgar. Because no matter how much she complained to him, and no matter how many times Edgar came over or vice versa, he'd never really _know_ what it was like living with Papa. That was something only she and mother could understand. And she knew mother would also understand, if she tried to explain…about…

She fiddled with the skirt, hating how heavy the fabric was. "I think…I mean it was weird, when I was there. But I mean it's almost been a year, you know? So we both—Shin and I—I think we'd just have a clearer head about things, now."

"That does sound reasonable." Reina added.

"And it's not like…I mean since the party is happening and all…like if he shows up…I just mean like if he asked me to dance I wouldn't say _no,_ exactly. Like if it were Leon I'd definitely say no, you know what I mean?"

"I believe I understand the gist of it."

"It'll be good I think," she seemed to be talking to herself now, "You know, to get on the same page and all."

"If that's what you want, darling."

Kiara's head shot up, realizing she wasn't really sure _what_ she wanted, exactly, but Vivian came back in, just then, carrying a variety of red fabrics and a handful of golden accents. She set them down on the table, saying she'd start matching them all to her skin tone once she'd finished the corset. So Kiara stood up, allowing her to adjust the garment.

The seamstress grunted as she tightened the strings, Kiara grimacing, holding onto her stomach with a twitching eye.

"Gained some weight since the last time, haven't we dear?"

Kiara fucking hated Vivian.


	22. Chapter 22

"That's really pretty." Kiara motioned to her mother, looking at her through the mirror that rested on the vanity.

Reina's hands went up to her necklace, three solid diamonds resting against her chest in an elegant _v_. "Thank you. It's quite unlike your father to be this bold."

Kiara smirked at that, struggling with a necklace of her own. "I think he just wants to show us off."

Reina scolded her daughter, and helped her with the necklace, clipping it around her neck.

"Thanks."

"You used to always wear rubies when you were younger." Reina smiled with nostalgia.

Kiara looked at herself in the mirror, losing herself in the deep red of the gems, as she nodded, agreeing that it had in fact been a long time.

"Whatever happened to them?"

It was now Kiara's turn to give a smile of bittersweet nostalgia. "I lost it. The bracelet I had. Edgar and I went swimming one day and…" she laughed, shaking her head, "I was so scared. I thought Papa was going to scold me for sure. I cried like crazy that day."

Reina's eyes widened, as she began brushing her daughter's hair. "I don't remember that."

Kiara's ears perked up, "He never told you?"

Reina shook her head, "Did that man give you an aversion to rubies?"

Kiara couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head and messing up her mother's brush strokes. "No. I mean, yes, but it wasn't his intention. I went ahead and told him what happened, absolutely bawling, and I knew that even if he let the bracelet thing go that he'd never forgive me crying all over the place."

Movements now somewhat strained, Reina continued to listen with anxious ears.

"He sat me down and I don't really remember but I calmed down. Or I guess he calmed me down. I had to apologize properly and all that. Then he nipped my finger and made me go wash my face because _a lady should never look so openly distraught over something as boring as stones."_

"Oh my."

"The bracelet was in my jewelry box the next morning. But I never wore it because I was terrified of losing it again."

Her mother laughed at that, saying that she had a somewhat similar story, and eagerly began telling it, before the words stopped abruptly, still half formed on her lips.

Kiara glanced at her, looking at her worriedly through the mirror. "Mom?"

"Ah, well," Reina smiled it away, finishing with Kiara's hair and setting the brush down on the vanity, "My mother wasn't quite so forgiving," she placed her hands on Kiara's shoulders, "Shall we have the familiars finish up?"

Kiara nodded, putting her hands on her mother's, and giving a light squeeze. Reina gave a smile that was more sincere, her usual warmth filling her eyes. "Have you decided, then?"

She swallowed, taking in a short inhale, "Yes. Well, I mean—that is to say, I'm somewhat…I look forward to holding a conversation. With him. That is—"

"With both of them, you mean?" Reina tried tenderly.

Kiara twiddled her fingers nervously, hanging her head slightly before biting her lip, "I mean it's not like he'd ever go talk to Papa on his own—n-not that it's that serious! But I think they should meet, at least, I mean with me around—I mean—"

"Perhaps he'll court you." She kissed her daughter's cheek in encouragement.

"No, Mom," Kiara recoiled, "I already told you he's not the type."

"He seems rather traditional to me. A founder—"

"That's got nothing to do with it. Trust me."

Reina gave a _mother knows best_ sort of smile, before squeezing her daughters shoulders again. "Well. When you've finished up here, go meet with Edgar. You will both enter together. There are some last minute things I need to discuss with your father."

Kiara nodded, playing with her hair while her mother left, and she waited for the familiars to come in and fix it for her.

For a moment she thought it might be better to keep her hair down. But that felt weird, with this sort of dress. So once the servants arrived, she had it done up, letting them curl and brush and pull and god-knows what else.

She tugged at the front of her dress. It was very…red. The golden accents were nice. But it was just so… _red._

She'd been wearing black for as long as she could remember.

Well, Mother was happy. So that was maybe…

He'd like it?

No, not that she'd worn it for him. Definitely _not._ Besides he liked the bright sort of red. Not this burned blood rum sort of color. She put on her gloves anxiously. What the hell was she thinking? This was stupid. _Unforgivably_ stupid. Because what did she care, if he noticed or not?

She didn't.

Good. Ok. So that was it, then. This was probably the first time she wouldn't be late to a ball, either. She couldn't be, after all, since she was entering with Edgar. Had to wear these stupid gloves and everything.

Honestly, who designed gloves to go all the way to a woman's elbows?

But, it was Eloise's engagement. So they had to pull out all the stops, so to speak. She couldn't just miss something like that. That sort of thing was important.

Yes.

Kiara looked at herself in the mirror, swallowing awkwardly once the servants had gone. She looked…fine. The tiara was a bit much, though, even if it was a requirement.

She stood up to smooth out her skirt. It was a nice dress. Really nice. It'd be a shame when he…

She swallowed. Had she just thought that? _When,_ but not _if?_ She was _confident,_ sure, but…

Maybe he'd go slow? Not likely. Definitely not likely.

Shit, she was nervous. What would she do if he _did_ go slow?

Ok, whatever. She was just going to go out there, do the formal greeting, and then they'd probably dance or something. She could handle that. These dances were pretty rigid anyway. Yes. It'd go great. And then they could maybe have some food. Cookies, even.

Yeah.

She tugged at the gloves again.

A year was sort of a long time, wasn't it?

…

"I'm just worried, that's all."

"She can take care of herself."

"Yes but that's exactly it! She's not acting like herself. Ever since she came back—"

"Edgar. How long are you gonna talk about Kiara for?"

"I'm—"

Yuma patted the prince lightly on the chest, having finished with his tie. "All set."

The prince fidgeted, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm…You know I get anxious…" he whispered, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"That's not good for your health, you know."

"I know, but Kiara—"

The door opened, Kiara tossing her head to the side and crossing her arms while she crinkled her features. "What _about_ Kiara?"

"She's always had a bad habit of eavesdropping." Edgar replied, rather smoothly, and Kiara seemed content enough with that, because she let her arms drop.

"Hurry up. You're _escorting_ me, after all."

"A pleasure, naturally." Edgar perked up his nose, drawling on in an obnoxiously narrow accent while he offered her his elbow to hold.

"Oh my word," Kiara feigned, in an equally bad accent, linking her arm around her cousin's, "Such a gentleman!"

"Y'all are fucking weird."

Kiara stuck her tongue out at Yuma, pulling down on her eye and making a _bleh_ sound.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Edgar squeezed her arm excitedly, "I was just telling Yuma about the carnival! You should come with us, it'll be fun and lift your spirits—"

"I have no interest in being a third wheel. Besides, places like that are always crowded."

"Kiara—"

"Seriously, stop trying to cheer me up. I don't need it. I'm perfectly happy."

"Told you she wouldn't want to." Yuma nudged the prince, making a face at Kiara.

Kiara blew raspberries at the gardener, and Edgar shushed them both.

The trio made their way into the ballroom, Kiara adjusting her skirt one more time before their names were called and the young royals were formally introduced to the guests of the castle.

It wasn't much longer after that, that the next announcement was made, a path cleared before the throne, Carla and Eloise entering through the main doors.

It truly was incredible. Kiara had never seen anything like it. Read about it, sure. But never actually _seen_ it. She guessed it just proved how fucking old Carla was.

 _Traditional,_ was the only way she could describe it. There was this whole show of walking down the aisle of people, Eloise looking surprisingly in place by Carla's side, one hand draped elegantly over his, the other holding her skirt, so that she did not trip when she stepped. Her dress even had a bit of a train going.

If this was just the engagement party then Kiara dreaded the wedding. But at least Eloise looked happy.

Carla presented the Vampire King with some sort of intricate looking box, and Kiara had to hold back the urge to gag. So she left to go find the sweets, excusing herself as she pushed through the crowd.

Shin had to be somewhere. More than anything she was sort of curious if he'd actually managed to wear a suit. Because something like that was kind of funny to think about, considering the _brute_ that he was, and she had just decided it was something she wanted to see.

Knowing him not to be anywhere near the crowds, she worked her way through the room, searching for unruly hair and an eyepatch.

Honestly, you'd think a guy like that would stick out like a sore thumb.

In the end, she found no trace of him, and Kiara had half a mind to go into the kitchen, because that bastard was probably eating all of the food without her, but Edgar caught her before she had the chance, saying she should be reintroduced to Carla.

Bless Papa for teaching her the art of fake smiles.

She was as cordial as possible when she first came up to them, but was completely blown away by how docile Carla was in his greeting. With wide eyes and a shocked mouth, she glanced at Eloise, who was beaming happily, a blush to her cheeks that had been there since she'd arrived.

Kiara didn't _fully_ believe it, but it was hard _not_ to, what with the gentle way Carla kept his hand around Eloise's waist, speaking in that same curt manner, but not to Eloise exactly, not with the same _bite_ that Kiara remembered _,_ and it was so similar to her own parents that Kiara started to feel nauseous.

Eloise must've noticed the pale look to her face, because she asked Kiara what was wrong.

"Huh? Nothing. I'm really happy for you. And you," she pointed to Carla, "Better take good care of her."

"I am perfectly capable." Carla nearly _sneered,_ but Kiara noticed Eloise gently rub her thumb against his palm, which seemed enough to calm him down.

Scary.

Edgar started talking about something or other, but Kiara tuned him out, completely unable to focus. Because if Shin hadn't shown up yet then he was _definitely_ planning something. Maybe he'd drop the bowl of sangria over her head, or rip her skirt off in front of everyone, or challenge her to a duel or some crazy shit like that.

"Kiara."

At the sound of her own name, her attention returned to the conversation. Eloise was looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

Gross.

"I know you keep looking…I'm so sorry…"

Kiara crinkled her features. "What?"

"He's not…coming…"

It wasn't that her heart _dropped,_ exactly. It was more of this weird compression in her chest, followed by a sinking feeling in her stomach. She probably just hadn't eaten enough. Kiara feigned confusion, though she knew exactly what Eloise was talking about. "Who isn't?"

Eloise's eyes were wide, full of pity, "Shin…"

Kiara waved her hand dismissively, "Who cares about him? This is your night—"

"We really did try, but he didn't want to—"

"Honestly he's the worst. You guys seriously dodged a bullet by leaving him at home." Kiara gave her best smile, _laughing_ even, before she reached for Eloise's hands and squeezed, excusing herself because Papa had been asking for her and she simply _had_ to go see him.

She'd never walked away so fast in her life, because she knew Edgar was stupid enough to point out that Papa was actually in his study. Because that's where he always was during events like these, and Edgar had no sense of subtlety.

So Shin wasn't here. So what? That had nothing to do with her. This was fine. Typical, even. After all, what had she been expecting? That he'd come and they'd dance she'd introduce him to Papa and…

She didn't even _like_ dancing all that much. So something like that was laughable. Stupid, even.

Jeez, what a relief. She'd been worrying all this time for nothing. How anticlimactic.

So in the end, it all worked out. She was _glad_ he wasn't here. Now she wouldn't have to hear about him complain about every little thing. And to top it all off she'd probably never have to see him _ever_ again so…

She rubbed her arm, biting her lip so that it wouldn't tremble anymore.

What a waste.

She could have worn black.

…

It had been a long time since he'd worn proper attire like this. Which was sort of fucking irritating. He was pretty sure Sampson had cursed him, all those years ago. If he'd never have taken the fucking necklace then maybe none of this would have ever happened, and he could've continued on in his life being the content bastard that he was.

But she just _had_ to show up and fuck everything up, didn't she?

Necklace or not though, Shin knew that didn't matter. Cuz he was still wearing the fucking thing, wasn't he? Sampson was either laughing or rolling in his grave.

That is, if they'd even buried the damn guy. Women were fucking scary.

He swallowed as he considered his own fate. Maybe teaching Kiara how to use a sword hadn't been the best of ideas.

But Kiara wasn't the problem right now. It was this door.

It wasn't the act so much that bothered him. That wasn't the reason he'd been standing outside the door for so long. It was the fact that he had to talk to _that_ guy, who he hated _almost_ more than the fucking Vibora wannabe Sampson, but it was _worse,_ because Shin kind of already got the feeling he'd never agree to it anyway.

No, that wasn't right. He _knew_ he wouldn't agree.

Which wasn't a problem for him, per se. If he were Reiji he probably wouldn't agree to this either, all things considered. But Shin got the feeling Kiara would be a whiney little bitch if he _didn't_ do this, so the only real option left was to…

He opened the damn door.

Reiji was standing there, his back turned to him, arranging some stuff on the desk. He _had_ to have heard the door. There was no way he _hadn't._ And Shin wasn't about to be purposely ignored. He opened his mouth, but Reiji beat him to it.

"You've come to take my daughter from me." He said it flatly, still arranging things on the desk.

Kiara was this guy's daughter alright.

"Excuse the intrusion." He managed through grit teeth.

"Her mother will be devastated." Reiji sighed, finally turning around, meeting him in the eye.

"With all due _respect_ ," Shin bit back a snarl, "That's not really my problem."

"How cruel," the door clicked open, revealing the sudden voice, "Towards your potential mother in law."

It'd been a long time since he'd last seen the woman who entered. It was jarring, almost, to think of how much time had passed. But he couldn't lose focus now. He'd come with one purpose and one alone.

"That sort of thing doesn't matter to me."

"Kiara values her family," Reiji began, "I suggest you begin to care."

"Family's not really my thing." He defended.

To Shin's surprise, Reina smiled, "Reiji. He's here. Isn't that enough?"

It's not that he didn't appreciate her saying so, but he couldn't help but wonder _why_ she was in the first place. So he got sort of suspicious. Then again, standing against her husband so openly…

Reina was a lot more gentle about it then Kiara, though.

"Hardly." Reiji scoffed, pushing his glasses up, "Though his blood is of the appropriate standing his demeanor is absolutely deplorable-"

Reina reached beneath Shin's chin, propping his head up. He flinched at the sudden touch, not expecting it in the least. "You're quite handsome." She praised.

"He's missing an eye."

"Reiji!"

Well. That's how Kiara had ended up so blunt, he guessed. What a fucked up pair to grow up with. He scoffed, before turning his gaze to Reina, and pointing to his patch.

"Can thank your dad for that."

Reina let her fingers drop. "I had my suspicions..." she turned to her husband, "Reiji didn't I say—"

"It's a testament to how ancient he is. The Vibora scandal happened-"

Shin chuckled, running a hand through his hair, "Oy," he grinned, "Shouldn't you respect your elders, Sakamaki?"

"Reina," her husbands eye twitched as he looked at her, "This is all the more reason to send him away. After all that's happened-"

"Oh Reiji—"

"I'm not looking for revenge, if that's what you're thinking." Shin said calmly.

Reiji glared at him. "I'm afraid your word alone has no value."

"Then take Kiara's."

The tension was broken by Reina's laughter, a bright sort of sound filling the room as she clapped her hands together, bringing them up to her lips. "How refreshingly bold," she smiled as if she'd finally figured something out, "You're quite like her."

Shin and Reiji blinked.

"And," Reina finished, "We will stand by whatever Kiara decides."

"Do not jump to conclusions so casually, Reina. This man—"

"We don't know you," Reina addressed Shin directly, "Is what my husband means to say. But I think that privilege belongs to Kiara," she glanced at her husband, "Doesn't it, Reiji?"

"I doubt she knows him herself."

Shin was just about out of patience. "Shin Tsukinami," he spat, "Son of Giessbach and Krone. Brother to Carla Tsukinami. Founder. Need to know anything else?"

"Do you love my daughter?" Reina chirped, completely enthralled.

Again, both Reiji and Shin stiffened, stunned by Reina's sudden question.

Shin swallowed, clearing his throat, "That…is…"

"If he cannot even answer that then clearly—"

"Reiji," his wife turned to look at him, a soft smile on her face, nostalgia making her eyes shine, before she turned back to Shin. "I knew a man who was just the same." She told him.

Reiji swallowed, "That—"

"Please, take care of our daughter."

"That girl doesn't need taking care of." Shin chuckled, "Besides, I know better than to piss off another Sampson woman."

Reina laughed. "Reiji, he's quite charming, isn't he?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Then," Shin said with a short bow, "I'll be taking my leave."

He'd not even managed to get to the door, before Reiji bit at him with that cold voice.

_"Tsukinami."_

He stopped. Nearly punched a hole through the door.

"Indecision is the mark of a coward."

Like he needed Reiji _Sakamaki_ of all people to tell him that. Shin bit back the growl that had formed at the base of his throat, and tugged at the door handle.

Reina watched Shin leave, still staring at the door as she spoke. "Those are rather heavy words, Reiji, for one so similar to you."

"In similarity we hold nothing."

"I don't think that's as true as you want it to be."

"What are you implying?"

Finally she faced him, the sort of smile on her face he'd always hated, because it had the uncanny ability to make him yield.

"Certainly you realize the effort he has made."

"Yes, a rather meager one, I must agree with you."

"Oh, Reiji—"

"I'm aware you fancy happy endings Reina, but this—"

"Have you listened to her—"

"I've spoken with her more than what could be deemed necessary. Kiara—"

"Reiji." Reina continued to smile in that calm sort of way, linking her fingers around her husband's palm. "Have you _listened?"_

Regrettably, he said nothing, simply pushed up his glasses as an excuse to drop her hold on his hands.

"That girl—"

"Is exactly as we've raised her to be. Don't you think, _darling_?"

It was with that final word that Reiji was humbly silenced. So he took his wife by the waist, saying they should return to the ballroom, seeing as the dances would soon begin.

"You hate dancing."

"Never with you," his voice deepened, his hold on her waist tightening in an effort to remain unbeaten, " _My dear_."

…

She had conveniently 'lost' her gloves. Because more than anything else they were cumbersome. And they also deterred her from grabbing the appetizers she wanted. Plus, she needed to keep busy since the singles dances were starting soon.

And those were a complete nightmare. With her luck she'd get stuck with Leon. Which was, coincidentally, how they'd met in the first place. She didn't need a rerun of that.

Not to mention these dances hadn't been updated since the goddamn 1300s so it was like something out of a goddamn movie, the rigid steps and strict movements that weren't conducive towards _anything._

But even if mother pushed her into the dance, Kiara knew Papa would be her saving grace. Because Papa at least understood this much.

Really, though, she didn't find it fair that she had to deal with this party all alone, while her parents got to hide who knows where doing who knows what. Papa had a habit of holing himself up during parties. But it was weird that her mom wasn't here either. Because, Kiara knew, her mother loved to dance.

So when she finally found them, it became extra irritating when the first thing her mother said was, _"The dances are starting soon."_

"Yeah," Kiara yawned, making a show of stretching out her arms, "I think I'm actually just gonna call it a night."

"Kiara," her father scolded, "Speak clearly."

"I would prefer to retire for the evening." She corrected.

"I think a dance might lift your spirits," Reina tried.

"Mom, honestly, not _this_ kind of dance," Kiara crossed her arms, "Plus everyone there is like fifteen. I feel like a spinster."

She dropped her arms, smiling pleasantly and straightening her posture, making use of the one sure fire way she always knew appeased both her parents. "Unless Papa will dance with me?"

It was his eyes that gave him away, before he said anything. Because Papa wasn't really looking _at_ her, more like _behind_ her, and Kiara fought the urge to turn around. But her curiosity started to burn, especially with Papa making the pained face that he was.

"I believe you will find a dance…" his voice was curt, reluctant, _"Enjoyable."_

The last word may as well have been _manure._

Her jaw nearly dropped in disbelief. "You're not _seriously_ gonna make me, are you—"

"With that unruly speech—"

"Go on, Kiara," her mother ushered her to listen to her father, "They're already lining up."

Kiara's numb heartbeat seemed to drown out all the noise. This was, by far, the worst night of her life.

And she'd been kidnapped by _wolves_ once, so that was saying something.

These sorts of dances began with the women facing the wall, turning around only once the music began, to see their partners already bowing lowly. They'd then rise, and the women would see the face of their 'fated' partner.

Which was a load of bull, in Kiara's opinion. Plus the whole drawing it out of what your partner looked like was sort of stupid, considering it was pretty obvious _who_ it was, even if the guy was bowing, or the girls were turned around.

Stupid old fashioned bullshit.

But she lined up anyway, with as much grace as she could muster, thinking that with her luck she'd get stuck with some pent up fourteen year old, or _Leon,_ but they were essentially the same thing, and the thought alone was enough to give her a headache.

Papa always saved her from this. How could he have forsaken her this time?

She was so caught up in her own dramatically increasing woes, that when she turned, she nearly had a heart attack. Because only one person had hair like that. And when the bowing figure straightened, there could be no doubt.

_Perhaps he'll court you._

Oh fuck. Oh fuck fuck fuck. She could've thrown up. That couldn't _really_ be Shin, she thought, as she curtseyed politely, the steps of the dance so engrained in her that she seemed to be doing them mechanically. She had to be hallucinating. Perhaps Papa was right and she really _had_ gone crazy. Because it just didn't fit someone like him. And all dressed up he looked _decent_ almost, which made _no_ sense, because Shin was definitely a function over fashion sort of guy, so maybe he was here to blackmail her? Even though she wasn't sure how something like that would work in any case, but he couldn't be here without _some_ sort of ulterior motive, because if they started dancing and he complimented her on her dress or something like that then she really would believe she'd gone insane. Maybe she should've done what Papa suggested and—

Their hands met, in the traditional fashion, the two standing side by side and Shin's fangs just barely brushing over the shell of her ear.

"Red's not your color, Sampson."

Everything seemed to pause in a deafening hum. He was still an asshole. She damn near _smiled._

"Like I need you to tell me that."

"Probably one of the ugliest dresses I've seen in a while."

"Not as bad as the Carla one."

"Worse."

"Liar."

"Maybe I just want you out of it, Sampson."

He grinned while she circled him, Kiara pursing her lips, "Now I know you're lying."

"You get fat?"

"That's really the first thing you say to me—"

"Probably why the dress looks so bad—"

"You _dick_ it's like three pounds—"

"So you _did_ gain weight—"

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me—"

"That's fine." They spun around this time, before they came to face each other, his hand finally resting on her waist, but instead of a light, respectful touch, like it was _supposed_ to be, he squeezed instead. Because Shin Tsukinami was a bastard. "More to grab."

"And who said you could _grab_?" She snarled.

He rolled his eyes. "Like I need _your_ permission of all things—"

"Shin Tsukinami I swear to—"

It continued like that for quite a while, in a way that made Kiara lose track of the dances they'd actually agreed to. It was disturbing, almost. For two reasons. Because Shin was weirdly good at this, and because it felt like she might as well have left the castle yesterday. Everything just felt…the same.

Which was sort of a huge relief.

"You're a good dancer."

"Isn't that a given?"

She let out an annoyed grunt, rolling her eyes.

"I used to do this shit all the time." Shin added, his feet moving with practiced steps.

Though it was obvious enough, Kiara had never given much thought to the fact that Shin was an actual _royal._ Of course he'd been raised with the exact sort of expectations she had, if not more. Although, dances like these, in particular…

"Just how old _are_ you?" She gaped.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

She wasn't about to give up so easily, but the music stopped, just then, upon which Shin bowed respectfully, the way he'd been doing at the end of each song, hand over his chest as he thanked her politely for the dance. Kiara swallowed awkwardly, curtseying once again in required custom.

He really was a _Prince,_ wasn't he?

The illusion quickly dissipated however, as Shin tugged at the ruffles of his dress shirt, complaining rather vulgarly about how _fucking crowded_ it was.

Kiara didn't even think twice as she led them out to the garden, where she'd escaped to on too numerous an occasion, mentioning how nice it felt to breathe again. Shin commented on the full moon. She smirked, saying she didn't plan on flying away.

"You gonna turn into a bat?"

"You know I can't do that."

He chuckled just as they came up to Kiara's favorite tree, because it hosted a swing she'd bribed Yuma into building for her years ago. She sat down on it out of habit, and rather than the bench, Shin opted for the grass.

"You want a push?"

She made a face, "You'd probably just push me off."

He laughed, laying down flat on the ground. Kiara swung softly, arms hanging loosely around the ropes of the swing. After a while, she gained the courage to breathe out her question. "Why'd you come?"

It wasn't that it was a slow answer. But it was about a beat behind the normal pace of any given conversation. "Free food."

His eyes were closed. Kiara nodded despite it. It was quiet.

"And to get back what belonged to me." He added, rather quietly, which was a wonder, for a guy like him, a low groan coming from the Founder as he struggled to sit up, staring at her dead in the face.

Her stomach twisted. "I suppose you mean me."

He stretched. "Obviously."

"I don't remember agreeing to that."

His eyes narrowed, and he stood up properly, walking up to her to kiss her. She scoffed into it, hardly paying the action any mind. "That supposed to be a confession?"

"Not even close."

Still, they continued to kiss, both indulging in lips they hadn't tasted for what felt like much longer than a year.

She swallowed, suddenly feeling her heart race. "Founders really are warm blooded, aren't they?"

"You just figure that out, idiot?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Want a taste?" He smirked.

"As if."

"Well," he said, taking her hand in hers, bringing her fingers up to his lips, "It's been a while since I've had your shit blood, Sampson. Remind me."

"Shin, wait—"

The only way to mark an immortal, is if it is done by silver, or if the weapon of choice hits the immortal's bone. At the base of Kiara's ring finger, Shin's fangs did exactly that.

Kiara forgot to breathe, blinded by the pain, or the reality, the reality of it more shocking than the pain itself, because something like this—something like _this—_ this meant—

"You asshole!" she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it in place, licking up the excess blood. Once he'd done that he let her go, and Kiara brought her hand up to her face, assessing the damage, "You didn't even ask!"

"Like you'd say no."

"That's beside the point! You're a complete—What's with that fucking _confidence,_ you fucking—"

"Heh." He smiled, which was enough to make her stop, because something like that, Kiara thought, was unlike anything she'd ever seen from him before. Her own eyes narrowed this time, and she reached for him roughly, causing the swing to move. "Gimme your hand."

He gave it to her willingly, and Kiara returned the gesture, marking him in the same way he'd done to her, his blood filling her mouth the moment she pierced the skin.

Fuck it was as delicious as always.

Biting deep enough to hit someone's bones was a different sort of feeling, something she may have taken pleasure in from her lunch in the past, but with blood like Shin's it was entirely indescribable.

The taste of his blood blurred her senses, but once she regained control and pulled away, reality filled her with about as much misery as anything could. Cursing under her breath, her fingers curled around Shin's jacket. "Papa's gonna kill me."

Shin burst out laughing, holding onto his stomach as he cackled, "Papa? _That's_ what you call him?"

She slapped him across the cheek, upon which he immediately growled, his hand cupping his face.

"I want a divorce."

Kiara rolled her eyes. "You and me both."

"Ba-ka~ too late for that sort of thing." He grinned wildly, wriggling his scarring finger at her.

Kiara chewed the inside of her cheeks. "Seriously though. We should tell-"

"If it's your _Papa_ you're worried about I already dealt with that." He dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

Kiara's eyes widened, before they froze in shock, remembering Papas pained and reluctant face as he suggested she go dance.

She couldn't come up with anything intelligible to say, so all she managed was a quiet "Oh."

She didn't really know _when_ Shin had started fiddling with his necklace, considering she was in a bit of a daze, but by the time she noticed, he'd already taken it off. For the first time, Kiara noticed the gem was in the shape of a coffin.

"Here," he said, holding it out, "A wedding gift," he scoffed at the word _wedding_. "Kinda belongs to you anyway."

Kiara blinked for a moment, wondering what he meant, but deciding she'd just ask him later. "You gonna put it on me?"

"The fuck does it look like I'm doing?"

She rolled her eyes, but took off her current necklace regardless, twiddling it between her fingers while Shin placed the single ruby around her neck. "If you wear it, it'll show you something amazing."

"Yeah?" She said, looking down at the red stone, taking in a large inhale. When he'd finished with the clasp, she swallowed nervously, turning to finally meet his gaze. "How's it look?"

He looked distant, for a moment, before he smirked, showing off his fangs. "Stupid."

Kiara smiled, for what felt like the first time, rather genuinely. "Thanks."

"Alright," he said, grabbing her hand and ruining the mood, Kiara stumbling from the swing and falling into step behind him. "Let's to. We got shit to do."

"Wait we're _actually_ eloping?"

"The fuck you think that mark on your hand _means—"_

"But it's Eloise's engagement! We can't just—"

"For fuck's sake Sampson, is it always gonna be like this—"

"Maybe if you'd use my actual _name_ I'd be more responsive—"

He yanked at her, and she fell into him, his arms caging her into what she assumed was a hug, or at least the closest thing Shin Tsukinami could _get_ to a hug.

_"Kiara."_

She flinched. Fuck _that._

"On second thought," she pushed him away, "You don't get to use my name."

Shin rolled his eyes and tugged her again, urging her to hurry, "Come on."

"Where are we even going?"

"Haven't you heard, Sampson? There's a carnival in town."

"What the fuck are we gonna do at a carnival? And dressed like this—"

"Are you an idiot?" He turned to look at her, smirk plastered proudly on his face, and Kiara's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

"What?" She said finally, but Shin just kept pulling at her, giving her that annoyingly attractive smirk. But that look was about as familiar as it was foreign, and Kiara started to think that it was probably that exact expression that pulled her in in the first place. Because even though she'd been raised by Reiji Sakamaki, Shin was just someone she could never properly read.

And she hated it just as much as she loved it. Even now, with that teasing smirk that threatened to keep their destination a secret.

"Just tell me already!"

He glanced over his shoulder briefly, with the nonchalance of a trained aristocrat.

Shin smirked, and for a moment Kiara swore she knew the answer before he ever said it out loud.

"We're gonna ride a rollercoaster."

She smiled incredulously, wanting to hug him, or maybe punch him, actually more than anything she probably just wanted to _bite,_ and she just couldn't stop _smiling_ …

"I think I hate you."

He flashed her a similar smile, before squeezing her hand and pulling her in one more time, indulging in a kiss that was more fangs than anything else.

"Can't stand me?"

She shook her head, "Not in the least."

"Then," he whispered, his lips brushing over her own, _"Sit the fuck down."_

She laughed into his mouth, pushing him away, "Goddamnit Shin!"

"Hurry up! You're fucking slow!"

"I am not! I _beat_ you the last time—"

"Heh." He licked his lips, blood rushing with sudden adrenaline. "Wanna race?"

Her eyes sharpened with the sudden challenge. "Loser buys the candied apples."

Shin deadpanned. "Candied _apples?"_

"They taste good!"

"You know Sampson," he came up to her, close enough so that their chests were touching, "You've got this amazing talent where you're able to just bother the complete shit out of me. And even still…" his voice trailed off, his marked finger hooking around hers.

Kiara blinked quietly, staring at their fingers. "You too." She added softly, with a soft chuckle to her voice, "You piss me off more than…" she swallowed, still looking at their hands.

"Talented people are hard to come by, you know…"

She looked up at him, eyes shaped in a smirk. "Isn't this the part where you kiss me, Tsukinami?"

"Is this you _asking_ for a kiss, Sampson?"

She cupped his face, not answering, instead bringing him down to meet her, piercing his lips once he was close enough. "I'm only in this for your blood."

"Good cuz I'm only in this for the sex." His arms rested around her waist casually, bumping his hips against hers as he said so.

Kiara laughed out loud, nearly snorting like an _idiot,_ becoming increasingly embarrassed from how warm her cheeks felt at that moment.

He nodded in a general direction. "Ready to go?"

Kiara stole a quick glance at the castle, the lulling lights and sounds of the party seeming increasingly distant.

"Mm." She nodded, putting her hand in his. "Let's go."

_Fin_


End file.
